Pokemon: Keyblade Masters, the Beginning
by Auriansmule
Summary: He knew not who he once was, nor where he came from. He was only sure of one thing. His name is Xhäs. Prequel to Pokemon: Keyblade Masters. PLEASE READ THAT FIRST!
1. Prologue: Birth

**A/N: Hey, everyone! It's only been a few days and I'm already at it again! If you're reading this, then you've probably read Pokemon: Keyblade Masters. If not, then please go read it.**

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* * *

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Darkness. That was all he could see. He was falling through the darkness. He couldn't see where he was going. He didn't know where he came from. Who was he? He had no idea. The darkness was suffocating, he could barely breathe. His senses were clouded. His mind filled with slight panic, but even that feeling was dulled. '_Where am I? _Who_ am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?_'

Suddenly the ground appeared below him and he landed in a heap. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes to the pain. He opened his eyes with a groan. He stood and saw he was standing before a huge mansion. A dark portal suddenly opened before him, making the boy gasp. A cloaked man stepped out of the portal and approached him.

"Do you remember your name?" the man asked softly. The boy shook his head and the man nodded. He raised his hand and three letters appeared in the air before them. A-S-H. The man flicked his wrist and the letters began swirling around the boy at great speed. Suddenly the letters stopped as an 'X' appeared as well. The newly rearranged letters spelled a single word.

"Xhäs..." the boy whispered.

"Your new name," the man answered his unasked question. Xhäs looked at him with wide eyes.

"Who are you?"

"My name," the man whispered. "Is Xemnas."

* * *

Xhäs wandered through the streets. '_Organization XII..._' he thought. '_What are they exactly?_' The man, Xemnas, said he wanted Xhäs to join. '_But, why?_' Xhäs questioned. '_It's not like I'm special... other than being a... Nobody."_

It was true. Xhäs had no special capabilities, no skill or even _memories_. Everything was a mystery to Xhäs. He looked around. He could recognize the words on signs. 'Welcome to Twilight Town!'

'_I know how to read, I know how to write as well...'_ Xhäs thought to himself. '_But no personal memories... Xemnas said that its normal for Nobodies to forget a few things, but their _entire_ memory?'_

Xhäs looked down at himself. He was wearing a black jacket with a silver fleur-de-lis pattern. He wore plain black pants and black shoes. What was with all the black? Xhäs also noticed a weight on his left ear. He felt his ear, feeling cold metal. An earring.

He looked back at his surroundings to see a group of kids about his age playing together. Xhäs smiled wistfully. '_I wonder what it's like to have friends...'_

"Hey, there," a voice from behind him said. Xhäs turned to see a pretty blonde girl smiling at him. "You look lonely." Xhäs looked away from her. "We'll have to fix that, c'mon." She grabbed his hand and dragged him off with her.

Within minutes, Xhäs found himself in a place called Sunset Hill. Its famous sunset was shining brilliantly in the distance. Xhäs glanced at the girl out of the corner of his eye. She stared at the sunset, enthralled.

"It's almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream," she said softly.

"What do you dream of?" Xhäs asked.

"I dream of the dawn, that will free us..." she whispered. Xhäs turned to her fully.

"Are you like me, too?"

"Am I a Nobody?" he nodded. "Yes."

"I see..." Xhäs muttered. He blinked. "Sorry, but... Who are you?"

She turned to him. "I'm Larxene,"

"I'm Xhäs," he replied, turning back to the sunset.

"How old are you, Xhäs?" Larxene asked curiously.

"Ten, I think." he said uncertainly.

"I'm thirteen," she replied. Xhäs continued to stare at the sunset until he felt something poke him. He turned to see Larxene offering him an ice cream. He wasn't sure where she got it from but accepted nonetheless. Xhäs took a tentative lick and blinked in confusion.

"Salty?... no... Sweet?" he asked confused.

Larxene laughed at his expression. "Sea-Salt Ice Cream," she explained. "It's kind of a tradition. When one of us is turned into a Nobody, we eat Sea-Salt Ice Cream."

They spent the rest of their time together sitting on the fence in silence. Just watching the sunset.


	2. Organization XIII

Xhäs quietly followed behind the blonde girl. '_I really don't have a choice,_' Xhäs thought to himself. '_I don't have anywhere else to go...'_

"It'll be fine," Larxene assured him. They walked through town. Where, Xhäs had no idea. They entered the empty sandlot and came to a stop.

"What are we doing here?" Xhäs asked. Larxene's eyebrows furrowed.

"What's going on...?" she muttered. Just then, the shadows began moving on their own. "Of course, he wants to test him..."

"What are those things?" Xhäs exclaimed.

"They're called the Heartless," Larxene answered. One of the shadow creatures lunged at them, but Larxene stabbed it with a set of knives, destroying it. She seemed to pull the knives out of nowhere. "Damn, Saïx... He doesn't know how to fight yet!"

"What are you talking about?" Xhäs demanded.

"Noth- watch out!" she cried. Everything went in slow motion as a Shadow lunged at him. Xhäs' eyes widened and raised his arm instinctively. A bright light occurred, forcing Larxene to close her eyes and the Heartless to shrink back. Xhäs opened his eyes once when he didn't feel the blow. He jumped as he saw what he was holding.

It was a key-shaped sword about 3.5 feet long. The blade and teeth were silver, the rain guard was blue and the hilt was gold. The teeth of the blade formed the outline of a crown, and the Keychain was that of a mouse head.

"Wh-what is this?" Xhäs gasped. He didn't have time to ponder it, because the Shadows lunged once more. He stabbed at the creature, destroying it. Larxene seemed to snap out of her trance and slashed at one of the Heartless. She snapped her fingers and lightning fried several Heartless at once. "How did you do that?" Xhäs asked.

"Magic," Larxene grunted. Xhäs frowned but didn't press the issue. Within minutes the Shadows were gone, leaving the two Nobodies alone. The weapon disappeared from Xhäs' hand.

"Okay, what was that about?" Xhäs demanded.

"The stupid elf, Saïx closed the Corridor," Larxene said irritably. "He knew the Heartless would attack, so he closed it. He probably wanted to test you or something."

"Test me?" Xhäs repeated. "Why?"

Larxene sighed. "Xhäs... life can be rough in the Organization," she told him. "We have to go on missions almost every day. A lot of times, those missions can be dangerous."

"Why do you have to go on missions?"

She shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "Only the higher ups know. And Saïx, I guess, but he kisses so much ass, he won't tell us."

"And you want me to join...?" Xhäs asked slowly.

"Only you can make that choice, Xhäs," Larxene said. "You can stay here, by yourself, or you can come with me." She offered him her hand as a dark vortex opened behind her.

Xhäs stared at her and sighed. "Fine," He took her hand as she led him through the Corridor of Darkness.

* * *

Xhäs glanced around him. He was in a pure white chamber. Before him stood a cloaked man. Xhäs knew who this was.

"Xemnas..." he whispered. Xemnas nodded and looked at Larxene.

"Well done, number XII." he said.

"Superior," Larxene nodded. Xhäs blinked, noticing she was suddenly wearing a similar cloak. Xemnas turned back to Xhäs. He held out his hands and darkness swirled around his arms, coalescing into a brand new, neatly folded cloak. Xhäs took the clothing without a word.

"Welcome to Organization XII," Xemnas said. He smirked. "Or should I say, Organization XIII?" He turned to Larxene. "Meet in Where Nothing Gathers, I will assemble the others."

With that, Xemnas opened a Corridor of Darkness and stepped through.

"Organization XIII..." Larxene muttered. She smirked. "Sounds better than Organization XII."

Xhäs stared at his new outfit. His cloak was loose fitting, probably to accommodate any growth spurts he had later on. The material was soft, but strong. He could move easily in the cloak. It was made for fighting.

"Looks good," Larxene said softly.

"Thanks," Xhäs replied just as softly. "Hey, Larxene? What was that thing I was using when the Heartless attacked?"

"That was your weapon," she answered. "We all have a weapon that we can summon."

"How do I summon it?" Xhäs asked.

"Just imagine it appearing in your hand," she tugged on his arm. "Come on, let's go." Xhäs followed her as she led him through another Corridor of Darkness. Xhäs stepped out of the portal and into a new, chamber. Xhäs looked around. The room was circular in design and contained twelve throne-like chairs. He noticed with a start that Larxene was no longer with him, and was instead seated on one of the thrones. All around, people sat, some conversing with each other. Others remained silent. None of them other than Larxene had noticed Xhäs yet.

"Good tidings, friends," Xemnas spoke from the highest throne. Everyone turned to him. "Today is a momentous day. I am pleased to announce that a new comrade has been chosen to wear the coat."

Some murmuring began, the members glancing at each other. Xhäs noticed a blue-haired man staring at him coldly, a smirk on his face. Xhäs took a breath and stepped forward, catching everyone's attention.

"Another kid?" a scarred man with an eyepatch grunted. "We trainin' an army of kids or something?"

"Step forward, No. XIII," Xemnas commanded. "Present to us your weapon."

Xhäs hesitated. '_Just imagine it appearing in your hand..._'

"Don't tell me he doesn't even have a weapon," the scarred man scoffed. Xhäs narrowed his eyes at the man. He extended his hand, concentrating. In a flash, his weapon appeared in his hand.

"What is that?" a teenager with short blonde hair asked. Xemnas smiled triumphantly.

"Let us all welcome one of the Keyblade's chosen." he declared. Several members choked.

"That's a Keyblade?" a skinny man with long blonde hair gasped. He began analyzing the weapon. "Yes, yes... why didn't I recognize it before...?"

"Something Vexen didn't know, the world's ending!" a redhead laughed. Vexen glared at him.

"Enough," Xemnas whispered, but it had the desired effect, as everyone fell silent. He waved his arm and the room began shaking. From the ground, another throne appeared. Xhäs felt an odd sensation fall over him. He looked down to see a golden sigil glowing at his feet. The same sigil was engraved onto the throne. "Your element... is light." Xhäs looked back up at the man. "Welcome, No. XIII: Xhäs, the Forgotten Key."

* * *

**A/N: This story will probably be shorter than Keyblade Masters. (Hopefully)**


	3. Missions and Catch Phrases

Xhäs slowly opened his eyes. The confusion of waking up in an unfamiliar place ensued before he remembered. Just yesterday, he had joined Xemnas' Organization XIII. The meetings that occurred after his introduction were... interesting, to say the least.

_**Flashback**_

_"Hey, kiddo!" a voice called in a surfer accent. Xhäs turned to see No. II running up to him. "I think we got off on the wrong foot."_

_Xhäs shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I don't care."_

_"The name's Xigbar," the man introduced. "No. II, the Freeshooter."_

_"Nice to meet you," Xhäs replied as he resumed walking._

_"Hey, hey!" Xigbar cried indignantly as he caught up with him. "Where you goin'?"_

_"Nowhere," the younger Nobody admitted. "I'm... kinda lost..."_

_Xigbar burst out laughing. "No problemo," he told his junior. "Sooner or later you'll memorize this place like the back of your hand!"_

_"I guess,"_

_Xigbar wrapped an arm around him. "What'cha say we head down to the city? Drinks on me!"_

_Xhäs looked at him incredulously. "I'm ten,"_

_Xigbar raised an eyebrow at him. "So?" he retorted. "Doesn't stop Zexion."_

_**End Flashback**_

Somehow he had managed to ditch Xigbar. The man was nice enough, but annoying. However, he had only managed to go a few minutes before someone else managed to find him.

_**Flashback**_

_"Hey, new guy!" a new voice called. Xhäs sighed and turned around. It was the redhead from the meeting. The one who had poked fun at Vexen._

_"Need something?" Xhäs asked. The teenager blinked at him._

_"Nah, just came to say hi," he responded. "The name's Axel, commit it to memory!"_

_"O...kay...?" Xhäs said slowly. "You probably know this, but I'm Xhäs_."

_"Yeah, the big-man, No. XIII," Axel nodded. "Xemnas was dead set on getting you to join."_

_"Why?" Xhäs asked incredulously. Axel shrugged._

_"Dunno, only the higher ups know," Axel scowled. "And Saïx..."_

_Xhäs blinked. "You got something against him?"_

_Axel sighed. "We're friends, but he's such an ass-kisser, I can't stand him most of the time."_

_"And... you're friends?"_

_"Well, we've been friends since we were Somebodies," Axel explained. "But when we became Nobodies, he just... changed."_

_"I see, sorry to bring it up," Xhäs apologized. Axel laughed._

_"Nah, it's fine," he said. "Just kinda lonely not havin' a friend to talk to."_

_Xhäs sighed. He really should have seen that coming. "You didn't have to go through all of that," he said. "I'll be your friend."_

_"Alright!" Axel cheered. "Let's get some ice cream!"_

_**End Flashback**_

Xhäs learned that Axel liked ice cream. A lot. It was amazing how skinny the pyro was. Of course, a certain blonde had a fit after discovering they had snuck out...

_**Flashback**_

_"Where have you been?" Larxene demanded after Xhäs and Axel portaled into the Grey Area._

_"Relax, XII," Axel said annoyed. "Xhäs and I were just havin' ice cream."_

_"Axel, Xhäs barely knows how to fight!" she growled. "What if something had happened?"_

_"I was there!" Axel retorted._

_"Oh, yeah, 'cause that's _soooo_ comforting!"_

_"Guys?" Xhäs asked uncomfortably._

_"Are you mocking me?" Axel demanded._

_"Guys!" Xhäs said louder this time._

_"I don't know, what do you think?" Larxene asked sarcastically._

_"Why you..."_

_"GUYS!" Xhäs yelled._

_"WHAT?" the two Nobodies roared, glaring at him._

_"We're not exactly alone," Xhäs pointed out. The two blinked and looked around. Half of the Organization were staring at them. Axel laughed nervously while Larxene huffed and glared at them. The onlookers quickly remembered they had somewhere else to be._

_"How did you do that?" Axel asked._

_"I'm not known as the Savage Nymph for nothing," Larxene smirked. Xhäs and Axel took a subtle step back. She looked at Xhäs sternly. "Next time, tell me before you go out. It's dangerous out there."_

_"I was with him!" Axel growled._

_"My point exactly."_

_**End Flashback**_

Larxene had demanded they take her where ever they went. She then proceeded to get into another fight with Axel. Xhäs didn't even try to stop them this time, instead opting to go to the room Xemnas had assigned him.

'_I wonder when I'll have to start going on these missions Larxene was talking about.'_ Xhäs thought.

"My Lord?" Xhäs turned to see a silvery-white creature with a zipped up mouth. A Dusk.

"Huh?" Xhäs asked, sitting upright.

"You are to meet Lord Saïx in the Grey Area." Having delivered its message, the Dusk disappeared.

"Looks like my missions start today..." Xhäs muttered. He went over to the mirror on the other side of the room before realizing he was already ready to go. He sighed and began his trek to the Grey Area.

Xhäs entered the lounge-like room and saw Saïx waiting for him. He saw Axel and Larxene sitting on opposite sides of the room, pointedly ignoring each other.

"You're two minutes late," Saïx stated. Xhäs rolled his eyes. He could see why Axel didn't like this guy. "Your missions start today, but don't fret, you'll be sent on easy ones for now. Think of it as a sort of crash course."

"And what exactly to I have to do?" Xhäs asked.

"It will be explained to you once you arrive," the blue-haired man replied. "The Superior thought it best if you go with someone you're comfortable with, so you'll be going with both Axel and Larxene."

"That's right!" Axel exclaimed, walking up. "Just us guys!"

"Ahem," Larxene coughed. Axel glanced at her.

"Like I said, just us guys!" he smirked.

"What?" the blonde girl growled.

"Please don't do this..." Xhäs sighed.

"Indeed," Saïx remarked. "Do try not to make fools of yourselves. We don't want a repeat of yesterday evening."

"I'll behave if he/she does," Axel and Larxene said. They shot each other a glare.

"Whatever, let's just go." Xhäs growled. The blue-haired man stepped back and opened a Corridor. Xhäs straightened up and stepped through, his two companions following him silently.

* * *

The trio appeared in Twilight Town. It appeared as though they were in a system of tunnels. "Okay, what are we doing?" Xhäs questioned.

"Somewhere in this maze is a chest," Larxene explained.

"You gotta find the chest, but watch out for the Heartless, too!" Axel exclaimed. "Commit that to memory! Heartless equals bad! No touchy!"

Xhäs looked at him strangely but didn't comment. Axel stepped forward and took a great leap, landing on a ledge above them. Larxene followed his example. "Wha..?"

"Just jump, it's easy!" Axel called down to him. Xhäs didn't look convinced but jumped regardless. He was surprised to find his jumping capability to be increased. He landed next to his friends. "Ya see?"

"Yeah..."

"But don't go thinking you can just run and jump your way through every mission," Larxene warned. "Like before, the Heartless could attack you at any time."

"Yeah, be aware," Axel said. "Commit it to memory."

"So all I have to do is find that chest?" Xhäs asked. They nodded.

"We're starting out easy," Larxene explained. "Can't have you go doing something dangerous on the first day, after all."

"Alright," Xhäs nodded. He proceeded down the tunnels. He stopped when he came across a flight of stairs. There were thorns barring the path in the form of an X. "What is this?"

"A barricade." Axel answered. "It means you're not supposed to go this way."

"Why?"

"They're set up to keep us on task." Larxene explained. "They usually disappear when the job's done."

"That, or out of trouble." Axel added. "I mean, _hello_, look at it. Big, menacing X? I'll take the beaten path, thanks."

"Wimp..." Larxene muttered. Axel ignored her. Xhäs took off down the tunnels once more.

Eventually they came to the end of the tunnels, where a large blue and gold chest sat. "It this it?"

"Sure is!" Axel nodded. They stood there for several moments. Axel and Larxene turned to him. "Uh... what are you waiting for?"

"I found the thing, can't we go now?" Xhäs asked.

"Don't be a smart-ass, Xhäs," Axel rolled his eyes. "Open the thing."

Xhäs sighed and tapped the chest with his Keyblade. It opened to reveal a vial of green liquid. Xhäs picked it up and examined it. POTION.

"That's a Potion, use it to heal yourself." Larxene explained. "_Now_ we can return to the castle."

"Uh uh," Axel shook his head. "First we're gettin' ice cream."

"You had ice cream yesterday, Axel," Larxene exclaimed. "And Xhäs had it twice!"

"Yeah, but I haven't showed you you my spot yet!" Axel argued. He began pushing Xhäs in the opposite direction. "C'mon!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Xhäs found himself eating Sea-Salt ice cream atop a giant clock tower. Axel and Larxene sat on either side of him.

"I admit, this is nice," Larxene muttered. Axel grinned.

"Told ya!" he exclaimed. "This is our spot now, commit it to memory!"

"Why do you keep saying that?" Xhäs asked.

"It's his stupid catchphrase," Larxene said irritably.

"What you don't like it?" Axel asked.

"It's just so lame!" Xhäs chuckled.

"Well you got something better?" Axel demanded. Xhäs thought for a moment.

"How 'bout this," he began. "This is our spot, Got it memorized?"

"Hey!" Axel exclaimed excitedly. "I like that! Got it memorized?"

"It's better than 'commit it to memory'..." Larxene laughed. Xhäs chuckled as he watched the sunset.

"Hey, I bet you two don't know why the sun sets red," Xhäs said.

"What and you do?" Axel retorted. Xhäs smirked.

"It _is_ my element," he replied. "Light's made of a lot of different colors, and red travels the farthest."

"You're right, I didn't know that," Larxene said.

"I told ya, he's a smart-ass!" Axel exclaimed as he and Larxene began laughing. Xhäs smiled. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all...

* * *

**A/N: "Commit it to memory" is Axel's catch phrase in Japanese. Or at least I think it is. That's just what I read. *Shrugs* Pokemon: Keyblade Masters, the Beginning takes place around 4 years after Birth by Sleep. It takes place about 4 years before Kingdom Hearts.**

**Character Ages:**

**No I: Xemnas - 21**

**No II: Xigbar - 26**

**No III: Xaldin - 23**

**No IV: Vexen - 29**

**No V: Lexaeus - 25**

**No VI: Zexion - 10**

**No VII: Saïx - 16**

**No VIII: Axel - 16**

**No IX: Demyx - 13**

**No X: Luxord - 18**

**No XI: Marluxia - 15**

**No XII: Larxene - 13**

**No XIII: Xhäs -10**


	4. Why Ya Be Hatin?

Two months… Two months since he became a Nobody. Two months since he joined the Organization. He got along with the other members well enough… excluding Saïx. It had been after a training session with Xigbar that Xhäs finally figured out why the blue-haired man disliked him so.

As usual, Xigbar went trigger happy in their little spar. This in turn caused Mother-Hen-Larxene to go into a berserk that would humble Saïx…

_Flashback_

_Xhäs__ groaned as he awoke to the sound of snickering. He glared at Xigbar._

"_Hey, not bad, kid," the Freeshooter said. "Better than last time at least."_

"_Whatever…" __Xhäs__ muttered as he rubbed the back of his head, where Xigbar had slammed the butt of his arrow gun. Suddenly he felt a cool sensation rush over him as the pain suddenly vanished. "What was that?"_

"_A Hi-Potion," a familiar voice explained frostily. The two turned to see Larxene approaching them, a cross look on her face. "Are you okay?"_

"_I'm fine…" __Xhäs__ answered, embarrassed. She nodded and turned her gaze to Xigbar._

"_What the hell was that about?" Larxene demanded._

"_Hey, Xemnas asked me to teach the kid and he learned something? Didn't he?" Xigbar defended._

"_What how to get shot at?" she growled._

"_Look, I'll run this show how I want it to," Xigbar said, annoyed. "Why don't you go paint your nails or something?"_

"_Oh, that's it!" Larxene exclaimed, summoning her knives. Xigbar laughed and summoned his arrow guns. "__Xhäs__, get out of here."_

"_But-"_

"_NOW!" she growled as she lunged at the older Nobody. __Xhäs__ flinched and took several giant steps back. He watched as Larxene attacked Xigbar in a frenzy of attacks. Lighting crackled violently as space rippled around them. __Xhäs__ felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Axel standing there wide-eyed._

"_Whoa, what crawled up her ass?" Axel asked._

"_Xigbar decided to use me as target practice and call it training," __Xhäs__ explained._

_"Ouch," the pyro winced. "You alright?"_

"Yes,_" __Xhäs__ said annoyed. "I'm not as fragile as everyone seems to think I am."_

"_Alright, alright," Axel said, raising his hands in surrender._

_Xhäs sighed. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you like that," he apologized. "I just don't like being coddled."_

_"I get it," Axel nodded. "Come on, I don't think you'll be getting in any more training today."_

_Xhäs shrugged and followed the redhead. Not five minutes later, Xhäs found himself with one of the most dangerous things in the universe, a bored Axel._

_"Axel...?" Xhäs asked uneasily._

_"Hmm?" the pyro asked, as his eyes became unfocused._

_"What are you planning?"_

_"Oh nothing... much." Axel said as a grin made its way onto his face. Xhäs' first instinct was to run, but Axel already had an arm around his shoulders. "I've got a great idea!"_

_"Is anyone going to get maimed?" Xhäs asked._

_"Of course not!" Axel grinned. "Well... Not permanently."_

"_Axel..."_

_"I'm kidding!" Axel laughed. "It's harmless."_

"_It'd better be…"_

_Axel dragged him through the corridors, towards his room. _Somehow_ the redhead had managed to acquire a bag of… waste._

"_Axel, what the hell?" Xhäs growled as he covered his nose._

"_Don't ask," Axel muttered. "Now come on!"_

_Xhäs followed as Axel raced down the hallway. They stopped in front of a door. Above it, the characters: IX were engraved. "Wait, this is Demyx's room…"_

_Axel grinned and set the bag down. He snapped and the bag burst into flames._

"_What the hell?" Xhäs exclaimed. Axel banged on the door and grabbed his sleeve. The two hide behind the corner and waited._

_The sound of a door opening was heard. "Huh?" they heard Demyx grunt in confusion. Several seconds passed before an alarmed shout told them he realized what was in front of them. Axel peaked around the corner, prompting Xhäs to do the same._

_Demyx hastily began stomping on the bag in an attempt to put out the flames, even though he was perfectly capable of dousing them with water._

_The horrible smell of human fecal matter reached them all. Demyx froze and examined his foot._

_One… two…_

"_AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Demyx let loose a high pitched screech. Axel burst out laughing. Demyx turned to them with a glare. "What the hell, Axel?"_

"_That was priceless…" Axel wheezed._

_Suddenly another sound caused them all to freeze._

"_RAAAAUUUUGGGGHHH!" Suddenly the door across from Demyx's room came flying off its hinges and __Saïx stepped out, his eyes wild and enraged._

'Crap_…' __Xhäs thought. '_We interrupted Saïx's beauty sleep…_'_

"_RUN!" Axel shrieked. He took off down the hall; Demyx followed him, screaming, the smell of crap following him. Saïx's eyes found him and if possible, became even more enraged._

"_YOU!" Saïx shouted. __Xhäs wasted no time in running after Axel. __Saïx summoned his Claymore and charged after him, shouting obscenities all the way. _

_Xhäs pelted down the halls, desperately searching for Axel. He couldn't open a Corridor yet, and relied on others to transport him places. He rounded the corner and saw Axel and Demyx cowering… at a dead end._

"_What are you doing?" Axel exclaimed. "You led him right to us!"_

_Xhäs growled and grabbed the pyro by the collar. "This is your fault, you clean it up!"_

"_And you owe me new socks as well!" Demyx moaned. "And while you're at it, can you get me some pants too?"_

_"This is no time for pants, Demyx!" Axel exclaimed. The three froze as they heard footsteps coming their way. A shadow appeared around the corner._

"_He's here!" Demyx screamed._

"_Wait, what am I running for?" Axel exclaimed. "Later!" With that he disappeared into a portal._

"_No! Wait Axel!" Xhäs exclaimed, but the portal had already closed. He turned to Demyx, only to see the blonde teleporting as well. "Ooooh no…." The footsteps were getting louder now, and the pace had increased, most likely following the sounds of their screaming._

_Xhäs closed his eyes and awaited his fate at __Saïx's blade. This was it... He was going to die…_

"_Just _what_ are you doing, thirteen?" a different voice asked. __Xhäs' eyes snapped open to see the Superior gazing at him in curiosity._

"_X-Xemnas!" Xhäs gasped._

"_What was it you were screaming about?" Xemnas asked in a bemused voice._

"_Oh, er… Axel… flaming bag of crap… screaming… portal…" Xhäs mumbled._

"_Ah, you have yet to be trained in the use of the Dark Corridor, yes?"_

"_Y-yeah…" Xhäs exclaimed, hoping to avoid the real reason he was screaming._

"_Well, if it is frustrating you to the point you must shout, perhaps I should teach you?" Xemnas offered._

"_Really?" Xhäs asked. "That'd be great!"_

"_Very well, it is simple enough," the Superior said. "Focus on the surrounding darkness. Bend it to your will. Dominate it. Manipulate it."_

_Xhäs closed his eyes, focusing on the shadows around him. The darkness surrounded him, attempting to overtake him._

"_Dominate it," Xemnas repeated. Xhäs forced the darkness to back down and commanded it to appear before him. He opened his eyes to see a Corridor opening before him. "Very good."_

_Xhäs released the darkness and the portal collapsed._

"_Very good, my young friends," Xemnas praised. "It took the others some time to master the skill, but you achieved it on the first attempt."_

"_Thanks…" Xhäs said with a lopsided grin._

"_I shall be watching your progress with interest, Xhäs." Xemnas said with a nod. With that he resumed his walk towards wherever he was headed before._

_Xhäs smiled… Until he felt a hand grab him and drag him around the corner. The person spun him around and Xhäs suddenly found himself face to face with __Saïx. The blue-haired man eyed him coldly._

"_S- Saïx!" __Xhäs exclaimed. "Look, I'm sorry about-"_

"_Do not think that you will earn the Superior's favor," __Saïx interrupted. "I am, and always shall be his second."_

_Xhäs stared at him for several seconds. "Wait, is _that_ what you're upset about?" he asked before he burst out laughing. That seemed like the wrong thing to do, as __Saïx growled and slammed him into the wall._

_He leaned closer until their faces were inches apart. "I'm warning you," the blue-haired man snarled. With that he spun on his heel and hurriedly followed after Xemnas, leaving __Xhäs to stare after him in disbelief._

_End Flashback_

"Ugh, it's not like I _want_ to be Xemnas' lapdog…" Xhäs muttered. He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought, until a voice broke him from his trance.

"My Lord?" Xhäs turned to see a Dusk standing by his bedside. "Lord Saïx awaits you in the Grey Area."

With that the Dusk disappeared. Xhäs groaned as he sat up. He glared in the general direction of the Grey Area. He sighed.

"Time to see what the lapdog wants…" He stood and made his way towards the door…

* * *

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long guys! To tell the truth, I lost interest in this story, but after reading my first story again, the interest has been renewed! Updates will be slow, however. Well, slower than Pokemon: Keyblade Masters, that is lol. No way am I rolling out four chapters in a day!**


	5. The Land of Awesomeness

Xhäs entered the Grey Area and glanced around. No one was there. He turned to face the blue-haired Nobody that summoned him.

"What is it now, Saïx?" Xhäs asked. Saïx ignored his rude tone and went straight on into the reason for calling for him.

"You have an assignment," he replied simply. He smirked triumphantly. "Solo."

"Solo?" Xhäs repeated. This was different. Usually he was paired with someone. "And what is this _wonderful_ mission?"

"A new world has appeared," Saïx explained. "You are to scout it out and report back to us."

"Whatever," Xhäs said offhandedly. He took a step towards the awaiting Corridor. "I'll be back in a few hours then-"

"I don't think so," Saïx said with a cold smirk. "You will spend several days there at most."

"_What?_" Xhäs demanded angrily.

"Did I stutter?"

That little… "So you think that I'm such a threat to your position that you're sending me away for a few days?" Xhäs mocked.

Saïx's smirk turned upside down in a flash. "I _did_ warn you," he growled. "This is only the beginning-"

"Get this through your thick skull!" Xhäs shouted. "I'm not interested in being _anyone's_ lapdog! Rest assured, your bootlicking position with Xemnas is safe."

Suddenly Xhäs found Saïx mere inches away from him, claymore in hand. Xhäs summoned his Keyblade, ready to defend himself.

"Hey, what's goin' on here?" a voice exclaimed. The two turned to see Axel standing in the entryway.

"This newcomer must learn his place," Saïx said coolly.

"Oh really?" Xhäs snarled.

"That's enough!" Axel growled, coming between them. He was being surprisingly mature about this. He turned to glare at the blue-haired Nobody. "This needs to stop, Saïx. Leave or I'll tell Xemnas about this."

Saïx scowled, but complied. He turned and gave Xhäs one last glare before exiting. Xhäs sighed and dismissed his Keyblade. "Thanks, Axel…"

"Hey, what are friends for?" Axel said easily. "We stick up for each other." His face darkened. "Something Saïx needs to learn…" He brightened again. "So what were you doing in here?"

"I have a mission," Xhäs sighed. "Solo…"

"Ah, your first solo mission!" Axel exclaimed. "What is it?"

"Scouting…"

"I see," Axel nodded. "See you in a few hours then-"

"Days," Xhäs corrected.

"Huh?"

"Saïx told me I had to spend a few days there,"

"WHAT? Why?" Axel demanded. Xhäs' face darkened.

"He feels as though his lapdog position with Xemnas is threatened by me," he answered.

"Pfft, he _is_ a lapdog, isn't he?" Axel snickered. "We'll be seeing him humping Xemnas' leg any day now."

Xhäs laughed. Once his mirth died down, he smiled at Axel. "Thanks, Axel. I needed that."

"Like I said, what are friends for?" Axel grinned.

"I'd better get going," Xhäs said. Axel nodded and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful out there," he warned. "Remember all the things Larxene and I taught you."

"Like how to light a bag of crap on fire?" Xhäs snarked.

"Okay, maybe not everything," Axel chuckled.

"See you in a few days, Axel,"

"Later, Xhäs," Axel waved.

Xhäs turned away from his friend and stepped towards the portal. He took one last look at Axel before stepping into the darkness.

'_That's what friends are for…'_

* * *

_**The Land of Awesomeness**_

_Bamboo Forest_

Xhäs stepped out of the portal and took in his surroundings. He was surrounded by long poles of wood-like material. '_Bamboo?'_ Xhäs thought. He took another look. '_No one here… Might as well look around.'_

He began wandering around the surrounding forest until he stumbled upon a pond. Feeling thirsty, he bent down and took a long drink from the pond.

Xhäs sat up, satisfied and wiped his muzzle with the back of his paw… Wait… muzzle? Paw?

His eyes snapped towards his reflection and nearly fell over from shock. Staring back at him was not a young boy, as he expected, but an adolescent, anthropomorphic panther. The only characteristics that remained similar were his messy hair and crimson eyes, along with the silver earring in his left ear.

"What the…?" Xhäs gasped, before remembering something that Larxene had told him.

'_Some worlds have certain laws,'_ she had said. _'They may transform you to allow you to fit in with its inhabitants.'_

So what? This world was inhabited by anthropomorphic animals? As though in answer to his question, a cry was heard. The cry was high pitched and sounded nearby. "Help! Somebody! Anybody! Help me!"

"Sounds like company…" Xhäs muttered before rushing towards the nosie.

* * *

_Wu Dan Mountains_

"Help! Somebody! HELP!" an elder goose with a noodle-hat on top of his head cried as he ran from a group of Heartless.

Xhäs broke through the bamboo to see the goose fall to the ground as the Heartless surrounded him. The goose began shaking as he entered the fetal position. Feeling compelled to aid him, Xhäs charged towards the Heartless. Within minutes the Heartless were slain.

Suddenly Xhäs found himself face to face with the elder goose. "Oh, thank you, thank you!" he cried in relief. "How could I ever repay you, brave warrior?"

"It's fine…" Xhäs muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I'm Xhäs."

"And I am Tsu Ping, though everybody just calls me Mr. Ping." The goose told him. "I am _noodle-folk_, I've a restaurant right in the valley with my son, Po. I was just picking up some ingredients for my noodle soup when I was attacked by those creatures! I was terrified!"

"Noodle-folk?" Xhäs repeated. "Valley?"

"Ah you must be a foreigner!" the goose exclaimed. "This place is called the Valley of Peace, because it is the most peaceful place in all of China."

"Must be… peaceful…" Xhäs said rather lamely.

Mr. Ping seemed to get an idea. "I know, why don't I make you my famous Secret Ingredient Soup as a reward?" he asked. "Free of charge!"

Xhäs' stomach suddenly rumbled loudly. He gave a lopsided smile and nodded.

"I'll take that as a yes," the goose chuckled. "Follow me!"

* * *

_Noodle Restaurant_

The entire village was composed of animals. Mostly pigs, rabbits and geese, though the occasional sheep could be found. Mr. Ping ushered Xhäs into his noodle shop and went around the counter to the kitchen.

Xhäs seated himself at the counter and watched as Mr. Ping washed his… wings? "Please wait a moment," the goose said. "PO! Get up! You'll be late for work!" he shouted up the stairs.

"Coming, Dad!" a voice called back. "In a minute!"

_THUMP! THUMP!_

"Po, what are you doing up there?" Ping called in exasperation.

"Uh, nothing…" the voice called back.

_THUMP!_

Xhäs sweat dropped. It seemed that 'Po' had given up on whatever he was doing, as the thumping noise stopped. However, several other muffled noises could be heard. Xhäs could have sworn he heard a 'roar'.

Mr. Ping was getting impatient as he began chopping onions. "Hurry, Po!" he shouted. "You'll be late for work!"

"Coming!" Suddenly a loud thump was heard as the ground began rumbling. As the sound got louder, a fat giant panda appeared, sliding down the stairs, face first. "Sorry, Dad." He apologized from his position on the ground.

"Sorry doesn't make noodles, son." Ping reprimanded. '_Son?_' Xhäs thought skeptically. "What were you doing up there? With all that noise?"

"Oh, nothing," Po replied as he also began chopping vegetables. "Just had a crazy dream."

"What was the dream about?" Xhäs asked curiously. Po turned to him in confusion.

"Sorry, who are you?" the panda asked politely.

"Ah, I forgot to introduce you!" Mr. Ping cried. "Po, this is a very special guest. His name is Xhäs, he's a brave warrior who saved my life today!"

"Oh my gosh, Dad!" Po cried worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine and still in one piece, back to business!" Ping exclaimed. He poured a ladleful of soup into a large bowl and handed it to Xhäs. "Thank you once again."

"No problem," Xhäs smiled. He took a sip of the soup and his eyes widened. "This is amazing!" That was all he said before he began wolfing the meal down. The goose chuckled and continued cooking.

"You never answered his question, Po." He reminded.

"Oh, I was dreaming about… uh…" the panda muttered. "Noodles…?"

"Noodles?" Mr. Ping repeated as he sliced an onion in half. "You were really dreaming about noodles?"

"Yeah, what else would I be dreaming about?" Po asked as he handed a bowl to a rabbit. Both he and Xhäs noticed a shuriken sticking out of the bowl. "Oh, watch out! Those noodles are… sharp…"

Xhäs sweat dropped and leaned back, snatching the shuriken before the rabbit noticed. He handed it back to the grateful panda.

"OH HAPPY DAY!" Mr. Ping suddenly cried, causing Po and Xhäs to jump. "My son is finally having the _noodle dream!_" the goose began dressing Po in and apron. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment! This is a sign, Po!"

"A sign?" Po and Xhäs repeated. "A sign of what?"

"You're almost ready to be trusted with the secret ingredient of my Secret Ingredient Soup!" the goose answered. "And _then_ you will fulfill your destiny and take over the restaurant!" He hopped up onto the counter and began pointing at a portrait of a goose with a mustache. "Just as I took it over from my father…" he pointed at a portrait of an even older goose with a mostache _and_ a beard. "…who took it over from _his_ father…" He pointed at a portrait of an ugly pig. "Who won it from a friend in a game of mahjong."

"Dad, Dad it was just a dream!" Po exclaimed with a nervous chuckle.

"No, it was _the_ dream," Ping argued. "We are _noodle-folk_, Po! Broth runs through our veins!"

"But, Dad," Po sighed. "Didn't you ever… I don't know. Want to do something else? Something besides noodles?"

"Actually," Mr. Ping admitted as he handed a rabbit her meal. "When I was young and crazy, I thought about running away and making _tofu_."

Xhäs sweat dropped slightly as he pushed the bowl away from him.

"So why didn't you?" Po demanded.

"Because it was a stupid dream!" the goose laughed. "Can you imagine? _Me_ making _tofu_?" Mr. Ping chuckled. "Tofu… NO!" he exclaimed, burying the knife into his cutting board. Xhäs jumped back slightly in surprise. "We all have our place in the world, Po. Mine is here and yours is-"

"I know… here," the panda said sadly. Xhäs sighed. It seemed that the panda was doomed to a life of noodles.

"No," the goose exclaimed, dropping several bowls into Po's arms. "It's at tables 2, 5, 7 and 12!" Ping placed a noodle-hat on Po's head and forced the panda to smile. "Remember, service with a smile!"

As the goose walked away, Po sighed and gazed upward. Xhäs followed his gaze to see a large palace in the distance. The sound of a flute could be heard ever so faintly…

* * *

_Jade Palace: Courtyard_

An elderly red panda sat beneath the shade of a tree. He seemed completely relaxed as he played his flute. From the shadows, five figures watched him in apprehension. They each took their positions as the panda reached his final note.

Suddenly a snake leapt from one of the palace's support beams as a monkey and tiger pounced from the roof. A crane dove from the sky, carrying a praying mantis on his back. Each of them bound towards the still sitting panda.

Suddenly, the panda's eyes snapped open. He dodged the snake's strike and leapt over the would-be ambushers. He used his flute like a staff, smacking the monkey on the nose before tripping the crane. He blocked the tiger's furious strikes and flipped her over his shoulder. He glanced around to see each of them surrounding him.

Master Shifu nodded. "Well done, my students." Each of them bowed to him in respect. "_If_ you were trying to disappoint me!" he snapped, making the five animals flinch. He turned to each of them. "Tigress, you need more ferocity! Monkey, greater speed! Crane, height! Viper, subtlety! Mantis-"

"Master Shifu?" a voice asked.

"What?" the red panda demanded, turning his gaze to a goose wearing the robes of a messenger.

"I-It's Master Oogway!" the goose stuttered. "He wants to see you!"

The panda's eyes widened before dashing away to find his master.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Sacred Hall of Warriors_

Master Shifu burst through the doors of the great chamber. He skidded to a halt before The Moon Pool, where a shell seemed to be balanced atop a simple wooden staff. Shifu took a deep breath and bowed.

"Master Oogway," he said. "You summoned me? Is something wrong?"

An arm appeared from within the shell, followed by another. "Why must something be wrong for me to want to see an old friend?" an old tortoise asked as he slowly and gracefully climbed from his perch.

"So… nothing's wrong?" Shifu asked.

"Well," Oogway said. "I didn't say _that_." He stepped over to one of the thousands of candles that were lit around the sacred pool. He took a breath and began blowing them all out one by one.

Shifu's eye twitched in impatience. His eyes narrowed before he thrust his arm forward, the breeze he created snuffed all the candles at once. "You were saying?" he asked impatiently.

"I've had a vision," Oogway said slowly. He turned to face the red panda. "Tai Lung will return."

Shifu stepped back in shock as the memories of the vicious snow leopard came flooding back. "That is impossible!" Shifu shouted. "He is in prison!"

"Nothing is impossible," Master Oogway said grimly. Shifu spun around.

"Zeng!" he called frantically. He ran towards the waiting messenger goose. "Fly to Chorh-Gom Prison! Tell them to double the guards, double the weapons; double _everything!_ Tai Lung does _not _leave that prison!"

"Yes, Master Shifu!" the goose exclaimed as he took off hurriedly. He squawked as he bumped into a pillar before righting himself and flying out the door.

"One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it," Oogway said in warning.

"We have to do _something_!" Shifu argued. "We can't just let him march on the valley and take his revenge! He'll… he'll…"

"Your mind is like this water, my friend," Master Oogway said, pointing at the disrupted Moon Pool. The water was rippling, causing their reflections to become unclear. "When it is agitated, it is difficult to see." The old turtle gently touched the surface with his staff, stilling the water. "But if you allow it to settle, the answer becomes clear." Shifu looked at their reflections, but something reflecting from above caught his eye.

Shifu gasped and looked towards the ceiling, where a golden dragon statue rested. In its maw was a ancient scroll. "The dragon scroll…" he breathed.

Oogway nodded. "It is time."

"But who?" Shifu asked. "Who is worthy to be trusted with the secret to limitless power? To become… the Dragon Warrior?"

Master Oogway closed his eyes. Shifu waited in apprehension. Finally the turtle opened his eyes and shrugged. "I don't know."

Shifu fell over.

* * *

**A/N: Kung Fu Panda belongs to Dreamworks.**

** Xhäs is a black leopard. We Americans call them panthers. Not sure what anyone else calls them.**

**I named the Valley of Peace; The Land of Awesomeness. It just fit...**


	6. The Dragon Warrior

_Noodle Restaurant_

Xhäs had decided to help the poor panda out. He hurried over to Po and relived him of some of the bowls. "Thanks," Po nodded. "Tables five and seven are over there." Xhäs nodded and made his way to the tables the panda indicated.

As he served the bowls to a family of rabbits, his thoughts wandered back to his mission. '_Should I be doing this?'_ Xhäs thought. '_I'm supposed to be lying low…' _He glanced back to Mr. Ping and Po. '_But what better place to hide than in plain sight?'_

Suddenly a gong rang through the area catching Po and Xhäs' attention. "What is that?" Xhäs asked as he and Po approached the poster that several geese had hung on the wall.

"Master Oogway is choosing the Dragon Warrior!" Po exclaimed excitedly. "Today!" he turned back to the restaurant. "Everyone! Everyone! GO! Get to the Jade Palace! One of the Five is gonna get the Dragon Scroll!"

"Dragon Scroll?" Xhäs muttered.

"We've been waitin' a thousand years for this!" Po shouted to a table of rabbits. "Just take the bowl!" he ran to a rabbit that was carefully placing his tip on the table. "This is the greatest day in kung fu history, just go!" Once everyone was cleared out Po made his way to the exit himself.

"PO!" Mr. Ping shouted. "Where are you going?" Xhäs saw Po's face fall as he slowly turned to face his father. "To the… Jade Palace?" Po practically begged.

"But you're forgetting your noodle cart!" the goose reminded as he pushed a cart with several pots full of noodle soup. "The whole valley will be there and you will sell noodles to them all!"

"Selling noodles…?" Po asked, disheartened. "But day maybe we could…"

"Yeah?" the goose asked.

"Also sell the bean cakes…" Po said with a sigh. "They're about to go bad."

"That's my boy!" the goose cried proudly. "I told you that dream meant something, Po!"

As the goose hurried towards the back, Xhäs stood next to Po. "So what was the dream really about?"

Po sighed as a blush appeared on his cheeks. "I was a kung fu master," he said with a happy sigh. "I wasn't just some noodle-boy. I was important, I fought alongside the Furious Five!" his smile turned into a depressed frown. "But it'll never happen. I mean, look at me."

Xhäs frowned. "Hey, it could happen," he said, trying to cheer the panda up, even though he felt the same.

"Yeah, right…" Po muttered. He became excited again. "Come on! Let's get to the Jade Palace!"

Xhäs sighed at his back and followed him.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Thousand Steps_

Mr. Ping wasn't kidding when he said the entire valley would be there. Hundreds of thousands of people were gathering, up the long, winding steps to the Palace.

At the very bottom of these steps, Po and Xhäs gaped at the stairs in shock and fear. Po put on a determined face and began dragging the cart up the many steps. Xhäs took the other end and began pushing the cart…

_Twenty minutes later…_

"Come on!" Po gasped as he pulled with all his might. Xhäs grunted in response. "We're almost there!"

Xhäs took a peak, only for his face to fall. "Uh… Po?"

"Huh?" the panda asked confused before looking down… They had only gone up about ten steps. "Aahhh noooooo!" he howled in misery as he collapsed to the ground. Xhäs gave an exhausted sigh and sat on the steps next to him.

Two pigs jogged past them, glancing at them in pity. "Sorry, Po.."

"We'll bring you back a souvenir…" With that they made their way up the steps. Po heaved a depressed sigh as fireworks burst above them.

"No…" he muttered. He glared up at their retreating forms. "_I'll_ bring me back a souvenir!" With that he removed his hat and apron and took off up the steps. Xhäs smirked and followed him.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Sandlot_

Master Shifu looked down upon the servants readying for the tournament. "It is a historic day, isn't it, Master Oogway?"

"Yes," the turtle nodded. "And one I feared I would not live to see. Are your students ready?"

"Yes, Master Oogway," Shifu nodded. The elder master looked at his student.

"Now know this, old friend," Oogway said softly. "The one I choose will not only bring peace to the valley, but also bring peace to _you_."

Shifu looked at him in confusion as a pig servant roused the crowd. "Let the tournament begin!"

At the top of the steps, a hand appeared, followed by a face. Po dragged himself up and laughed in triumph. Behind him, Xhäs pushed on his giant behind, bringing the panda's entire body onto the top step. Both collapsed in exhaustion.

A creaking sound was heard and the two turned to see the doors closing! "What?" Po gasped. "No, no no!"

"Wait up!" Xhäs shouted. The duo ran face first into the closed doors and slowly slid down.

"Ow…" Po muttered from the floor. Xhäs turned to see an open window in the wall.

"Over there!" he exclaimed. Ten seconds later, Xhäs found his knees wobbling dangerously as he struggled to hold up the giant panda. Po didn't even notice as he sat on Xhäs' shoulders.

"Tigress, Viper, Crane, Monkey, Mantis!" Master Shifu called. "The Furious Five!"

Po laughed in glee as five figures appeared in the sky. Each of them landed with practiced grace. "It's the Furious Five!"

"So… which one… is… your favorite?" Xhäs asked as he struggled to keep Po on his shoulders.

"Tigress, definitely Tigress," Po answered. "But Viper's pretty awesome too."

Crane flapped his wings, sending a gust of wind through the crowd. Unfortunately it had the secondary effect of closing the window, tipping both Po and Xhäs out of balance. They both fell in an undignified heap.

"Get… off…" Xhäs wheezed. Po quickly scrambled off of him.

"Sorry," he smiled nervously as he searched for another way to watch. He spied a crack in the door. "Ooh, peaky hole!"

Po peaked through the hole as Xhäs hyperventilated, trying to catch his breath. Crane was facing a dragon made of wood. Fireworks were planted in the dragon's mouth. "The thousand tongue's of fire!" Po squealed.

"Whoa, looks at that!" a random pig exclaimed, standing in front of the hole, blocking Po's view.

"Hey! Out of the way!" Po shouted. Po backed away to see Crane about to be struck by the fireworks. "Whoo!" he cheered. Unfortunately just as Crane was about to do something 'awesome', he fell backwards down the stairs.

Xhäs sighed and helped the panda back up. They looked back up to see that Crane was gone. They had missed it. "Ugh…" Po sighed. He stood back and charged at the door, attempting to punch it open. "Oww…" he whimpered as he cradled his injured fist.

Xhäs glanced up at the gate and began pushing. Po got up and the two began pushing the door with all their strength. Sadly, it was not enough to open the gates. "No good…" Xhäs muttered.

The two continued to try different ways of viewing the tournament. Po tried pole vaulting over the wall, but ended up snapping the bamboo he used in two. They tried using a bamboo pole as a catapult, but the bamboo stayed in place due to Po's weight. Eventually they gave up and sat on the steps in depression.

"And finally," Shifu could be heard. "Master Tigress!"

Po gasped. Xhäs sighed. Tigress was his favorite… A minute later, Po was using a tree as a slingshot.

"Believe me, you haven't seen _anything_ yet!" Master Shifu shouted.

"I know!" Po screamed. Xhäs released the rope, sending Po flying through the air. Unfortunately they fired him a little too far. Po hit the roof and bounced back off.

Master Oogway raised his hand, silencing the entire crowd as they stared at him in anticipation. "I sense the Dragon Warrior is among us."

Shifu turned to his students and nodded. They quickly stood before them in a single line. "Citizens of the Valley of Peace!" the red panda shouted. "Master Oogway will now choose the Dragon Warrior!"

Xhäs ran to where Po fell and found the panda sitting amid hundreds of fireworks. The two shared a look.

Working fast, the duo began tying fireworks to a chair they had found nearby. Meanwhile, Oogway was making his way down to the sandlot, his eyes closed as he attempted to locate the Dragon Warrior.

Po sat down on the chair and lit a match. "Where did you get that?" Xhäs asked. Po looked between Xhäs and the match and shrugged. He lit the fuse and waited in anticipation.

Just then, Po's father appeared at the top of the stairs and spotted his son. "Po! What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doin'?" Po shouted as his father began trying to blow out the fuse. "Stop, stop, I'm going to see the Dragon Warrior!"

"But I don't understand!" Ping exclaimed. "You finally had the _noodle dream_!"

"I lied!" Po sighed. "I never had a dream about noodles, Dad…" He glanced at the fuse, closed his eyes and shouted out to the heavens. "I LOVE KUNG FUUUUUUUUuuuuuu…."

Xhäs watched as the fuse died. "It was a dud…" he muttered. Po fell over in his chair. He looked up at them with tears in his eyes as he began sniffing. "Hey, it's okay, man…"

"Come on, son," Mr. Ping sighed. He held out Po's apron. "Let's get back to work."

Po let out a depressed sigh. Xhäs sighed as he took a glance at the fuse again. Just as Po was about to take the apron, Xhäs muttered under his breath. "Fire…"

The fireworks suddenly burst to life as Po shot forward. "Wha?" Po shouted as he slammed into the wall. The fireworks continued to flare as they shot skyward, taking Po with them. Ping and Xhäs watched as they exploded in a shower of colors. The crowd below 'ooh'd' and aah'd'.

"PO!" Mr. Ping shouted as his son landed somewhere on the other side of the wall. He ran towards the door. Xhäs was about to tell him it was futile when the goose _pulled_ the door open. Xhäs stared at him in shock before falling over. Slowly, Xhäs righted himself and followed the goose sullenly.

* * *

_With Po…_

"Ugh…" the panda mumbled. "What happened…?" He slowly opened his eyes to see a clawed hand pointing at his face. "What're you pointing at…?" He focused his gaze to see he was staring at _the_ Master Oogway!

"Oh, sorry!" Po gasped. "I just wanted to see who the Dragon Warrior was!"

"How… interesting…" Master Oogway muttered.

"Master…?" Tigress asked from behind Po. "Are you pointing at me?"

"Him." Oogway replied.

"Who?" Po asked. He moved around out of the way, but Oogway's finger followed him.

"You," Oogway said with a smile.

"Me?" Po asked in shock.

"The universe has given us the Dragon Warrior!" Master Oogway announced, effortlessly lifting Po's arm with his staff.

"What?" Po exclaimed.

"WHAT?" the Five parroted.

"WHAT?" Master Shifu demanded.

"WHAT?" Mr. Ping shouted.

"Er," Xhäs said awkwardly. "What they said?"

Just then a pig servant banged a small gong, the signal that the Dragon Warrior had been chosen. The crowd cheered wildly as Po stood there, bewildered. Confetti began raining everywhere.

Xhäs hurried over to talk to the still stunned Po. As he approached the Furious Five entered a battle stance.

"Who are you?" Tigress growled, looking ready to attack.

Before Xhäs could say anything, Po looked back and saw him. "What? Hey, hey! It's okay, he's my friend!" he shouted, shielding Xhäs from the Five.

The Five slowly relaxed. Tigress strode over to them, making the two nervous. When the tiger and panda were face to face, she glared at him. "So you think you're the Dragon Warrior?" she chuckled sarcastically. "Listen closely. I don't know what you did to Master Oogway, but-"

_BOOM!_

"What the…?" Crane gasped. An explosion from one of the roofs had cut off Tigress' cruel remark.

Suddenly a scream broke through the noise as Heartless began creeping towards the sandlot. The crowd quickly became panicked. The Furious Five took a step back, as they had never seen such creatures.

"Not those things again!" Xhäs heard Mr. Ping shout.

"Those are the things that attacked you, Dad?" Po exclaimed.

"Yes!" the goose shouted. "Po, let's get out of here! Let Xhäs take care of them!"

"Gonna run, _Dragon Warrior_?" Tigress mocked as she attempted to punch one of the Heartless. The Heartless exploded in a cloud of darkness.

Master Shifu was looking a bit panicked. "Master Oogway, we must do something!" he exclaimed. "The village is in danger!"

The old tortoise remained silent. He was watching Po and Xhäs. "Let the tournament continue…" he murmured.

Shifu stared at him in shock before growling out. "Furious Five! Attack!"

The Five assumed their battle stances and charged out to face the Heartless.

Po and Xhäs were surrounded. "What do we do?" Po asked in fear.

"We fight…" Xhäs muttered, he summoned his Keyblade. Po eyed the weapon in awe as it appeared out of nowhere. It also caught the attention of the two elder masters watching them.

Xhäs surged forward, destroying several Heartless. Po watched his friend fighting in awe. Xhäs could fight these things with that sword! "That's awesome…" Po muttered.

"Po!" Xhäs shouted. "Watch out!"

"Huh?" Po asked as he turned in time to see a Soldier Heartless lunging at him. "Aahhh!"

However, when the Soldier made contact with Po, the panda's belly absorbed the impact and sent the Heartless flying across the arena, destroying it as it slammed into the wall.

"Good job, Po!" Xhäs exclaimed in surprise as Po gaped at place the Heartless disappeared. Xhäs spun around, pointing his Keyblade at a group of Heartless. "Thunder!"

Tigress watched as the two began destroying these… things. '_Hmm… Dragon Warrior… we'll see.'_

Xhäs smiled but he spotted something behind Po. "Watch out!"

Po spun around in time for a Neoshadow to slash him across the chest. "Po!" Xhäs destroyed the remaining Heartless before rushing to his fallen friend. Luckily, the panda's fat protected him from the brunt of the attack. Xhäs quickly used Cure magic before anyone noticed.

"Owie…" Po groaned as he sat up, clutching his chest.

"You'll be fine, big boy," Xhäs smirked.

Po smirked back. "That a fat joke?" he demanded in mock anger. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Master Oogway smiling at him.

"Rise, Dragon Warrior." He old tortoise commanded. Po's face fell.

"Yeah, I kinda wanted to talk to you about that, I think that was kinda an accident-"

"There _are_ no accidents," Oogway insisted. Suddenly a gong was sounded as the crowd cheered once more. Po suddenly found himself being lifted onto a shoulder carrier.

"Hey, wait a second!" Po exclaimed.

Oogway turned to Xhäs. "You may stay with us for a long as you wish," the old turtle bowed to him respectfully. "Thank you for your bravery this day."

"Er, no problem." Xhäs muttered before following the carrier. '_So much for lying low…_'

Shifu watched all of this in shock. The Furious Five stood behind him and bowed. "Forgive us, Master," Tigress said. "We have failed you."

"No," Shifu said grimly. "If that panda does not quit by morning, then _I_ will have failed _you._"

* * *

_Chorh-Gom Prison_

Deep within the confines of the prison, a snow leopard smirked. He was finally learning to control those creatures. The shadows that tormented him for twenty long years… He could hear the warden laughing and talking with someone. They would all pay in time… His ears twitched as he heard another voice.

"I'll just wait right here…" the voice muttered. Feh… coward…

"It's nothing to worry about," the warden chuckled in a deep bass. "It's perfectly safe. Crossbows, at the ready!"

"Crossbows?" the other voice exclaimed. The feline smirked. Like those gigantic crossbows would do any good against him.

"Hey, tough guy!" the warden grunted. "Did you hear? Oogway's finally gonna give somebody the Dragon Scroll and it's _not _gonna be you."

"What are you doing?" the voice demanded. Was that Zeng? "Don't get him mad!"

"What's he gonna do about it?" the warden asked. "I've got him completely immobilized." He felt the warden stepping on his tail, but didn't react in any way. The warden laughed. "Ah, did I step on the wittle pwetty kitty's tail?"

"I'm good!" Zeng laughed nervously. "I've seen enough! I'll just go tell Shifu he's got nothing to worry about."

"No he doesn't." The warden agreed. As they walked away, Tai Lung's eyes snapped open. He spotted a feather on the ground before him. Slowly, his tail wrapped around it as a smile found its way to his face.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry about the inconsistency of my updates =(**


	7. Training

_Jade Palace: Sacred Hall of Warriors_

The crowd has followed their new Dragon Warrior and chanted loudly, "Dragon Warrior! Dragon Warrior!" as they have reached the Jade Palace with the palanquin.

The pig servants promptly dropped Po onto the floor. "Ow… Could you have been more gentle…?" The pigs ignored him as they rushed out and shut the door, drowning out the shouts from outside. Xhäs looked around.

"Where are we?" he asked the panda.

Po sat up, rubbing his behind before realizing where they were. "This is the Sacred Hall of Warriors!" he gasped. "No way!" He ran towards a battered suit of armor. "Master Flying Rhino's armor! With authentic battle damage!"

Xhäs' attention was drawn to a strange weapon. It appeared to be a broadsword with a jade dragon etched onto the flat of the blade. Fused to the dull edge was what appeared to be a dagger. "Hey, Po?" Xhäs called. "What's this?"

"Whoa!" Po exclaimed, running up next to him. "The Sword of Heroes! Said to be so sharp you can cut yourself just by lookin- OW!" He began nursing what appeared to be a cut finger.

And so Po began running from artifact to artifact. Xhäs remained staring at the blade. There was something about it… He reached out to it…

"Xhäs!" Po shouted. Xhäs quickly retracted his paw and turned to the panda. "Check this out!"

As Xhäs approached the panda, he realized that he'd been indicating an ancient urn. "The legendary Urn of Whispering Warriors!" the panda informed him. Xhäs frowned.

"Doesn't look so special."

"Want to hear the story?" Xhäs nodded. "Once there was an ancient army, known as the Tenshu Army. They were called upon to defend an isolated village of peaceful potters from the attack of ten thousand demons of the Scarlet Moon. Though outnumbered twenty to one, the valiant warriors held the dark horde back for a hundred days, fighting shoulder to shoulder in formation and whispering to each other, 'hold fast, brothers, hold fast' to keep up their courage.

They fought to their last breath and successfully drove the assassins back. The grateful village worked together to make the most perfect ceramic vase they had ever created, molded from the clay of the battlefield and moistened with their tears.

It is said that the souls of the noble warriors of Tenshu live on inside the vase, waiting to be called on again in a time of need. If you are very quiet and still, you may hear them whispering, 'hold fast, brothers, hold fast...'"

"That's kinda sad," Xhäs muttered. The two of them leaned in towards the vase and listened closely. Xhäs heard a faint voice whispering in the back of his head. _Hold fast, brother, hold fast._

"Have you finished your sightseeing?" a voice asked. Po and Xhäs gasped.

"Sorry," Po whispered. "We should have come to see you first."

"My patience is wearing thin…"

"It's not like you're going anywhere," Xhäs said with a frown.

"Would you turn around?" the voice demanded.

"Sure," Po nodded and turned to see a very irate Shifu. "Hey, how's it going?" Po asked, not realizing who it was. He turned back to the urn. "Now how do you… MASTER SHIFU!"

Po jumped in surprise, bumping into Xhäs, sending him flying into the table the urn rested on, in turn sending it crashing to the ground. "Uh oh…" the two muttered as a green mist rose up from the shattered remains. "Someone… broke that…" Po exclaimed hastily to the un-amused Shifu. "But I'm gonna fix it! Do you have some… glue? Or duct tape?"

"So you're the 'Dragon Warrior', hmm?" Shifu asked sarcastically.

"Um, I guess so?" Po shrugged.

"WRONG!" Shifu snarled, causing the two younger animals to flinch. "You are_ not_ the Dragon will_ never_ be the Dragon Warrior until you have learned the secret of the Dragon Scroll!" he said, indicating the scroll clamped in a dragon statue's jaw.

"Whoa…" Po muttered. "So, um, how does this work? Do you have a ladder or a trampoline or…"

Shifu chuckled darkly. "You think it's that easy?" he asked. "That I'm just going to hand you the secret to limitless power?"

"No!" Po said hastily.

"One must master the highest level of kung fu," Shifu ranted. "And that is clearly impossible if that one is someone like you!"

"Someone like me?" Po parroted.

"Yes!" Shifu exclaimed. It appeared he had completely forgotten Xhäs' presence. "Just look at you… This _fat_ butt! Flabby arms! And this _ridiculous_ belly!"

"Hey!" Po exclaimed.

"And complete disregard," Shifu continued. "For personal hygiene."

"Hey, now that was uncalled for!" Po argued.

"Don't stand that close," Shifu ordered, leaning away from him. "I can smell your breath."

"Listen, Oogway said that I was-" Shifu suddenly caught Po's index finger between his own index and thumb. Po gasped for some reason.

"The Wuxi Fingerhold!" he whispered. "Please, no!"

"Oh," Shifu said coyly. "So you know this hold?"

"Developed by Master Wuxi in the third dynasty, yes!" Po gasped.

"Then you must know what happens when I flex my pinky!" Shifu threatened.

Po gasped. "Please, no!"

Xhäs frowned. What was so bad about this 'Wuxi Fingerhold'?

"You know the hardest part of it?" Shifu chuckled. "That hardest part is cleaning up afterwards."

"Okay, okay…" Po whimpered.

"Now listen closely, _panda_," he spat the word. "Oogway may have chosen you. But when I'm through with you. You will wish. He. Hadn't. Am I clear?"

"Oh yeah, _so_ clear!" Po gasped.

"Good." Shifu chuckled. "I can't wait to get started." Shifu released Po and strode out the hall. "Follow."

Po, looking visibly shaken hurried quickly. As Xhäs followed them, he took one last glance at the Sword of Heroes before shutting the door.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Training hall_

Inside the training hall was pure chaos. The Furious Five were in the middle of a training session. Tigress was training herself with the Seven Swinging Clubs of Instant Oblivion. Crane from the rafters and landed on the Jade Tortoise. Suddenly arrows shot out of nowhere. Swinging his wings in a sweeping fashion, Crane swept them away, leaving him unharmed. Mantis made his way through the Gauntlet of Wooden Warriors. The only sign he hit any of them was the dummies spinning in place. Viper tested her reflexes by dodging blasts of flame on the Field of Fiery Death. From above Monkey performed amazing feats of speed and acrobatics on the Seven-Talon Rings.

Suddenly Tigress punched one of the clubs into splinters. One of the larger chunks smacked Po in the head, snapping the panda out of his daze.

Shifu chuckled. "Let's begin."

Po and Xhäs looked at him as though he were insane. "Wait, wait wait!" Po exclaimed. "Now? On that?"

"Yes," Shifu nodded. "_Now_. Unless you think the Great Oogway was wrong. And you are not the Dragon Warrior."

"Oh, okay, well…" Po coughed. "I don't think I can do _all _of those."

Xhäs wasn't even sure _he_ could doanyof them.

"Well if we don't try we'll never know," Shifu argued.

"Well, yeah, it's just," Po sighed. "Maybe we could find something a little closer to… _my _level."

"And what level would _that_ be?" Shifu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm not a _master_," Po said nervously. "So why don't we just start out at level… zero? Yeah, level zero."

"There's no such thing as level _zero_," Shifu chuckled. Something in the corner caught Po's eye.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, running over to a dummy. "Maybe I can start with that?"

"The _Adversary?_" Shifu asked incredulously. "We use that to train _children_. And for propping the door open when it's hot. But if you insist…"

The sound of footsteps caught everyone's attention. Xhäs turned to see the Furious Five approaching them.

"Whoa, the Furious Five…!" Po gasped. "You're so much bigger than you're action figures!"

Xhäs facepalmed but Po continued to place his foot in his mouth. "Except you, Mantis." He added. "You're about the same."

Mantis's antennae twitched in annoyance.

"Go ahead, panda," Shifu insisted. "So us what you can do."

Po eyed the Five. "Uh, are they gonna watch?" he asked nervously in the presence of his idols. "Or should I wait till they get back to work?"

Shifu was getting impatient. "Hit it."

"Okay, well, I just ate so… my kung fu might not be as good as it will be… later on…"

"Just _hit it_." Shifu growled.

"Alright…" Po turned to the dummy. "Whatcha got, buddy?" he said in the dummy's face. "You got nothing because I've got it right here. You picking on my friends? Get ready to feel the thunder! I'm coming at you with the crazy feet. What'cha gonna do about crazy feet? My feet are a blur. I'm a blur," Po went on as he danced in place. "You've never seen bear style, you've only seen praying mantis! Or a monkey style! Or a slid-snake-"

"Would you just HIT IT?" Shifu snarled.

"Just do it, Po," Xhäs said encouragingly.

"Alright, alright…" Po said, breathless from his dancing around. He raised his fist and lightly tapped the dummy, causing it to rock back and forth pathetically.

No one was impressed. Not even Xhäs. "How was that?"

"Why don't you try again?" Shifu asked, gritting his teeth. "A little harder next time?"

Po shrugged, feeling more confident and proceeded to punch the dummy with all his might. "How 'bout tha_"

"INCOMING!" Xhäs shouted.

_SLAM!_

The dummy had slammed into the wall and rebounded at Po ten times harder than his punch. The panda was sent flying into the obstacle course the Five had been training in.

Xhäs quickly stepped forward to help the poor panda when Shifu raised an arm. "This is none of your concern." He said rather coldly.

Xhäs pushed the red panda's hand aside and glared. "It is when it concerns my friends." He quickly leapt onto the obstacle course and towards Po. The Five gaped at his disrespect while Shifu raised an eyebrow.

By the time Xhäs managed to drag Po's sorry hide off the course, the panda's fur had already been singed by the Field of Fiery Death.

Po coughed. "How'd I do?"

Shifu smirked. "There is now a level zero." He said, extinguishing a small flame on Po's head.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Bunkhouse_

"I'm amazed…" Mantis muttered.

"No denying that," Crane agreed.

"I don't understand what Master Oogway was thinking," Viper said worriedly. "The poor guy's gonna get himself killed!"

"He is _so mighty_," Crane sneered. "The 'Dragon Warrior' fell out of the sky in a ball of fire!"

"When he walks, the very ground shakes!" Mantis added as everyone laughed.

"One would think that Master Oogway would choose someone that actually knew kung fu," Tigress fumed.

"Yeah, or could at least touch is toes," Crane snickered.

"Or even _see_ his toes," Monkey sneered, causing everyone to laugh… Everyone except two individuals that had overheard everything.

Po whimpered as Xhäs leaned against a boulder, eyes closed. The giant panda took his belly in both hands and attempted to see his toes, but only succeeding in falling flat on his face. With a sigh Xhäs helped the panda up and the two entered the bunkhouse just as the Five blew out the candles in their rooms.

"Okay," Po whispered. He took one step and a loud creaking noise was heard. The panda looked at his feet in betrayal. Po sighed and continued down the hall as 'quietly' as he could. As Po took another step, he crashed through the floor. "Ow…"

As he attempted to recover he ended up even more noise. Xhäs watched, sweatdropping the entire time.

Po continued stumbling through the hallway until he lost his balance and ended up banging into one of the doors.

"Oh, hey!" Po said nervously to Crane. "You're up!"

"Am now," Crane said dryly.

"I was just…uh…Woo! Some day, huh?" Po blurted out.

Crane stared at him again, not saying a word.

"Wheew!" Po blundered on. "That kung fu stuff is hard work! Are your biceps sore?"

Crane glanced at his wings. "Uh, look. I've had a long and… disappointing day." He said as Xhäs appeared in the doorway. "So… yeah, I should probably get to sleep now."

"Yes, of course." Po said.

"Okay, thank you." Crane replied.

When Po started to leave, but he couldn't help but turning back toward Crane to say one more thing. "It's just…aw, man. I'm such a big fan of yours." He confessed.

Crane the smiled politely.

"You guys were totally awesome at the Battle of Weeping River," Po went on. "You were outnumbered one thousand to one, but you didn't stop, man, you just…HI-YAH!" Po performed a series of clumsy-looking kung fu moves-and kicked a hole right through the paper wall.

From the other side of the wall, Monkey peered through the hole that Po had just made, he scowled at Po.

"Oh! Sorry about that," Po mumbled.

Crane wasn't too happy with him either. "Look, you don't belong here." He told the giant panda.

Po hung his hand, disappointing. He sighed, "I know, I know. I'm just a big, fat panda. My whole life, I've been nothing but a—"

"No," Crane interrupted. "I meant, you don't belong here, as in this room. It's my room." He tapped the floor for emphasis. "Property of Crane."

"Oh, okay. Right," Po said, flustered. "I get it. You want to go to sleep."

"Yes." Crane nodded. "Exactly."

"And I'm keeping you up," Po went on. "When we've got lots to do tomorrow. All right, the last thing I'm going to say is, you're awesome. Good night now." Finally, he left the room, shutting the door silently behind him.

Crane let out a deep sigh of relief. Po popped right back into the room. "What was that?" he asked.

"I didn't say anything." Crane replied.

"Oh, okay," Po answered. "All right, then. Good night, sleep well." He shut the door again gently.

Out in the hallway, he scolded himself. "I'm so stupid. I can't believe I did that."

"You need to calm down with this fanboy thing, Po," Xhäs chuckled. Po chuckled sheepishly as they continued down the hall, floorboards creaking under Po's weight.

Suddenly, Tigress opened one of the doors and stuck out her head. Po winced when he saw the angry look on her face. "Oh, hey, Master Tigress. I'm sorry if I—" He said, putting on a chirpy voice.

Tigress interjected, "You don't belong here." She snapped.

"Sorry," Po apologized. "This is your room-"

"No," Tigress paused and went on. "I mean, you don't belong in the Jade Palace. You're a disgrace to kung fu and if you have any respect for who we are and what we do, you will be gone by morning."

With that she slammed the door shut. "Big fan," Po said lamely at the door. Meanwhile Xhäs glared at the closed door. '_What the hell's her problem?'_

With a sigh, Po left the way they came. Xhäs hurriedly followed.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Sacred Peach Tree_

Master Oogway ascended the cliff that held the Sacred Peach Tree to see the Dragon Warrior and his friend sitting on the edge, gazing out at the horizon. Apparently they were lost in thought.

"So you have found the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom!" Oogway exclaimed.

The two spun around in surprise, their cheeks bulging with peaches. "Huh?" Xhäs asked, a peach falling out of his mouth.

"Da sacre wa…?" Po asked his speech distorted by the peaches. "I sho shawy, I thawt it wa a regula peach-" the peaches fell out of his mouth as he spoke. "Tree."

Oogway chuckled as the two quickly swallowed the peaches. "I understand," he said. "You eat when you're upset."

"Upset?" Po scoffed. "I'm not upset. Why would I be upset?"

"Because the Five seem to hate you're guts?" Xhäs supplied. Po glared at him before sighing.

"I probably sucked more today than anyone in the history of kung fu," he muttered. "In the history of China…" he spoke louder and more angrily as he went on. "In the history of SUCKING!"

"Probably," Oogway nodded. Xhäs stared at him incredulously.

"The Five!" Po went on. "Man you should have seen them! They totally hate me!"

"Totally." Oogway agreed.

"How's Shifu ever going to turn _me_," Po said, indicating his belly. "Into the Dragon Warrior? I mean, I'm not like the Five. "I've got now venom, no claws… Even Mantis has those… thingies. And Xhäs has that sword thing!"

"Keyblade," Oogway corrected. Xhäs looked at him in alarm. The old tortoise smiled at him. "Ah, yes. I'm fully aware of that mystic weapon. I'm also fully aware of what you truly are."

Xhäs was backing away from him now. "Do not be alarmed," the tortoise assured him. "No one else knows. And I have no intention of telling anyone."

"Telling anyone what?" Po asked confused. Oogway ignored him for now.

"Ancient scrolls tell of beings, chosen by the Keyblade to bring peace and order to the universe," Oogway said.

"Can you tell me more?" Xhäs asked eagerly. "Why was I chosen?" Oogway turned away from him and back to Po.

"I'm afraid you will have to discover that on your own," the ancient turtle said much to Xhäs' disappointment.

"See?" Po exclaimed. "Xhäs was chosen to fulfill some kind of ancient prophecy or something! Maybe I should just go back to making noodles…"

"Quit; don't quit," Oogway said. "Noodles; don't noodles. You are too concerned with what was and what will be. There's a saying: Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

With that said, Oogway tapped the tree with his staff, causing a peach to fall from the branches above and into Po's lap. The panda looked at the tortoises retreating back and grinned.

"Up for some training, Xhäs?"


	8. The Oath

_Chorh-Gom Prison_

Tai Lung carefully placed the fallen feather into the lock of one of his confinements with his tail. With flawless precision, he flicked the feather in various directions until he heard the telltale clicking sound of the lock.

He grinned savagely as the body binding mechanism loosened, allowing his to flex his muscles for the first time in twenty years. The various pins that kept the lock in place shot out as he flexed. Effortlessly he crushed the lock into thousands of pieces using his pectoral muscles.

The noise did not go unnoticed by the thousands of rhinos standing guard over him.

"Oh no!" the warden, Commander Vachir shouted, leaning over the edge of the cliff.

"What's happening?" Zeng exclaimed, leaning over as well. Around them the rhinos began scrambling for their weapons.

"The prisoner is escaping!"

"Go, go go!"

From below, Tai Lung let out a fearsome roar as he began pulling on the chains that bound his wrists.

"Fire the crossbows!" Vachir ordered.

"Fire!" one of the rhinos shouted as several enormous crossbow bolts shot towards the snow leopard.

Tai Lung, though confined, was able to dodge with ease and glared up at the offending rhinos. He saw his chance when one of the bolts was fired to his right. He raised his arm a fraction of an inch, causing the bolt to strike the metal chain that bound his wrist, shattering it on impact.

Up above the two rhinos that fired the bolt looked at each other nervously. "Oops…"

Tai Lung grinned and used his free hand to rip off the remaining chains. With a smirk he glanced up at the Commander.

"TAI LUNG IS FREE!" Zeng shrieked. "I MUST WARN SHIFU!" He attempted to take off, only to be stopped by Vachir.

"You're not going anywhere and neither his he!" he screamed in the goose's face. He glared down at the rhino army below. "Bring up the lift!"

The lift began rising as two rhinos attempted to get on. "Wait, come back!"

Tai Lung growled lowly as he watched the lift rising. His sensitive ears alerted him to another crossbow bolt being fired at him. He spun around and with his expert timing, he deflected the giant arrow and sent it straight back at the rhinos who fired it. The snow leopard glanced at the various bolts embedded in the ground around him.

He quickly pulled them out of the ground and into the air. With practiced grace, he kicked each one of them onto the opposing wall in a rising fashion. Cracking his neck, he used the remaining bolt as a catapult and landed on a bolt sticking out of the wall. He then began making his way up using each bolt as a stepping stone.

"He's coming this way!" Zeng cried frantically.

"He won't get far…" Vachir growled stubbornly. "Archers!"

As one, two hundred rhinos released three arrows, sending six-hundred arrows raining down on the snow leopard. Tai Lung leapt from the last crossbow bolt and grabbed onto the still rising lift and used it as a shield from the arrows.

One of the rhinos, realizing what had just happened, used his axe to cut through the chain that was pulling the lift up, causing the lift to fall back down to the ground floor. He and his partner chuckled victoriously before a white blur flew out of the opening and punched each of them in the face.

Thinking fast, Tai Lung grabbed one of the chains and swung onto the other side of the cavern, landing in the middle of a bridge along with an entire battalion of rhinos. He smirked.

'_Perhaps I should test this new power?'_ he thought evilly. Suddenly his hands were enveloped in a dark aura as he shot a blast of darkness straight through the rhino army. The beam was powerful enough to send all of them over the side, each of them screaming. '_Impressive._' The snow leopard thought. '_Perhaps I should use this power more often?'_

He quickly dashed up the stairs, running on all fours to save time. He easily bulldozed his way through the slow and cumbersome rhinos before finally making his way to the top bridge. Across from him stood Vachir and the remainder of his forces.

The Commander let out a challenging snort. Tai Lung snarled in return. Zeng let out a nervous whimper. "We're dead, so dead…"

The rhino commander laughed. "Not yet we're not!" He glanced to his left. "NOW!"

On one of the ledges, a rhino fired off a flaming arrow, which struck a cache of explosives embedded on a stalactite. Several enormous stalactites fell from the cavernous roof and struck the bridge, causing it to begin crumbling.

Tai Lung let out a snarl as he charged forth, jumping from piece to piece of the crumbling bridge. He took one last great leap, but came up short. His claws scraped against the cold stone as he began falling. From above Vachir let out a victorious laugh.

Tai Lung glared at him before spotting another cache of explosives, with the fuse half-way lit. He quickly leapt onto the falling pieces of the bridge and began jumping upward from piece to piece. He leapt onto the stalactite the bomb was attached to and ripped explosive from the rocks.

Zeng and Vachir watched his in growing horror. "Can we run now?" Zeng asked.

"Yeah…" Vachir gulped as Tai Lung hurled the bomb at them.

_**BANG!**_

The door to Chorh-Gom Prison shattered in a fiery explosion, sending several rhinos flying off the mountainside. Zeng wheezed amidst the rubble. Suddenly a hand wrapped around his throat and he found himself face to face with Tai Lung.

"I'm glad Shifu sent you," the snow leopard purred as he petted the goose. "I was beginning to think I'd been forgotten. Fly back there and tell them the _real_ Dragon Warrior is coming home."

Zeng frantically nodded as Tai Lung threw him into the air. Zeng quickly caught the updraft and began flying back towards the Jade Palace.

Tai Lung stared off into the general direction of the Jade Palace and clenched his fist. "Soon, Dragon Warrior… Soon…" he whispered as darkness began swirling around his paw.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Bunkhouse_

Early the next morning, a gong sounded outside the Jade Palace bunkhouse. The Furious Five quickly gathered at the entrance to the training hall. "Good morning, Master." They greeted simultaneously.

Shifu nodded and stepped up to them. And then he found that someone was missing, "Panda? PANDA!" he roared and swung the door opened, "WAKE UP!" and in a moment he stared at the view, the room was empty.

A smirk found its way to his face. "He's quit," he announced.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Training Hall_

"What do we do now, Master?" Viper asked as they followed the old master. "With the panda gone, who will be the Dragon Warrior?"

"All we can do is resume our training and trust that in time, the _true _Dragon Warrior will be revealed." He answered as he opened the gates to the Training Hall's courtyard. However, none of them expected to see what they did.

"What are you doing here?" Shifu demanded as they watched Po stretching in a split.

"AH!" Po shouted, causing Xhäs, who had been dozing in a tree to fall to the ground. "Uh, good morning, Master! Um, thought I'd warm up a little." He explained as he nervously began 'stretching' again.

"You're stuck, aren't you?" Shifu asked deadpan as Xhäs walked over, rubbing his head irritably.

"Stuck?" Po asked. "Pfft, yeah ri- as if I'm – I'm hardly… Yeah, I'm stuck."

Shifu sighed. "Crane! Help him!"

"Oh, dear…" Crane muttered as he began tugging at the panda's waistband.

"Maybe you should…" Po began. "One, two-"

Crane ignored him and Po fell flat on his face. "Ow, three…" Po muttered. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Crane muttered.

"No, I really apprecia-"

"Ever!" Crane cut him off, striding away.

'_Jerk.'_ Xhäs thought.

Shifu chuckled. "You actually thought you could do a full split in one night?" he asked. Suddenly he grabbed two boards and flung them into the air. "It takes years to develop one's flexibility!" Instantly, Tigress leapt up and executed a perfect split in midair, shattering the two boards. "And even more to apply it to combat!"

Po and Xhäs watched all of this in disbelief and awe. The shattered remains of the board showered around Po, one of them knocking him on the head, but Po didn't notice.

"That was amazing!" Po exclaimed, grabbing a piece of the board as a souvenir. Tigress 'hmph'd' and returned to the group.

"Put that down!" Shifu snapped. "The only souvenirs we collect here are bloody knuckles and broken bones!"

"Yeah!" Po exclaimed excitedly, tossing the rubble aside. "Excellent!"

Shifu let out a cruel smirk. "Let's get started." The group made their way to a clear spot. "There is only one way to learn how to fight, and that is to fight!" Shifu declared. "You may stay or leave. It is your choice."

"I think I'll stay," Xhäs told him.

"Viper shall be your first opponent!" Shifu declared.

Viper and Po stood on opposite sides of the ring. "Are you ready?" Viper asked.

"I was born ready!" Po exclaimed.

Before he could make an action, Viper swiftly lashed her tail around Po and wrenched his arms back. Po flew into the air, and came crashing back down on his head. "I'm so sorry, Brother, I _thought_ you said you were _ready_!" she said teasingly.

To everyone's surprise, Po sat up, grinning widely. "That was awesome!" he declared. "Let's do it again!"

"Come on, Po!" Xhäs encouraged him. "You can do it!"

Shifu stared at him blankly. "Perhaps you would like to try your hand?" he asked. "If not, would you kindly not interfere?"

"I was just giving him some encouragement!" Xhäs exclaimed incredulously. "You want me to go against _masters_ for cheering my friend on?" Shifu simply gestured at the ring. With a heavy sigh, Xhäs stepped into the ring.

"Tigress!" Shifu exclaimed. Tigress nodded and took Viper's place as Xhäs took Po's.

"I'll try not to hurt you _too_ much," Tigress said coldly.

"Bite me!" Xhäs shot back.

"As you wish." Suddenly the tiger lashed out at him. Xhäs barely had time to dodge as he leapt to the side. He raised his arm to block a sweeping kick from her powerful leg.

'_Thank god for you, Xene,'_ Xhäs thought to himself. Larxene had been kind enough to show him some basic hand-to-hand combat techniques and right now he was glad that she did. Xhäs grabbed Tigress's leg and flung her across the ring. The master quickly righted herself before charging at him once more.

Tigress sent a strong punch towards his face. Xhäs quickly ducked to avoid it, but that turned out to be a mistake, as he was met with her knee in his face. Xhäs stumbled backwards, clutching his face. That gave Tigress yet another opening. She grabbed him and pulled him towards her, whispering in his ear. "Always fight on after receiving an injury."

Xhäs growled and head butted her, catching her off guard. She stumbled backwards and Xhäs swept her feet from under her.

"Always take your own advice," Xhäs cracked. Suddenly he felt immense pain in his stomach as Tigress punched him in the gut. Hard. Xhäs was sent flying into the wall on the opposite side of the courtyard.

"Xhäs!" Po shouted as he ran towards his fallen friend.

"Tigress!" Viper gasped. "This is just a training session! I think that was a little unnecessary!"

Tigress seemed surprised that she had done that as well. "I-I wasn't thinking…" she muttered.

"Xhäs!" Po exclaimed, shaking the panther.

"Hey, Po," Xhäs said as stars swam in front of his eyes. "Did you get the number of the truck that hit us…?"

"Er, what?" Po asked, as trucks hadn't been invented yet. "Xhäs, wake up!"

"Huh?" Xhäs asked as his eyes refocused.

"Are you alright, panther?" Shifu asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Xhäs muttered. "I just need to sit down for a while."

Shifu nodded. "Very well, panda!" he snapped. "You will resume your training!"

"Yes, Master!" Po exclaimed hastily. As the two walked away, Xhäs quickly murmured to himself.

"Cure…" Once his injuries were healed he stood and made his way back over to the others and sat down. He felt someone next to him and looked up to see Tigress.

"I… apologize," she began. She was obviously not used to doing this. "I don't know what came over me."

"Whatever," Xhäs shrugged. "I'll just make sure not to piss you off in the future."

"You don't need to be afraid of me," Tigress frowned.

"I'm not," Xhäs shrugged. "I just have to remember: 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.'"

Tigress smirked. "Just so," she muttered as she turned her attention to Po's 'training'. "You did well," she remarked. "Of course I was going easy on you."

"Until that last bit," Xhäs quipped.

"I believe I already apologized for that." Tigress stated in amusement. Xhäs didn't reply. He simple continued observing Po's progress. Slowly his mind drifted back to the night before… and his oath…

_Flashback_

"_So you wanna get stronger, huh?" __Xhäs__ asked. Po nodded vigorously. _

"_But I don't really know how," the panda admitted. __Xhäs__ smirked. _

"_Well let's start out with something simple," he said. He suddenly spun around towards Po, his eyes gleaming furiously. "Now drop and give me twenty, soldier!"_

"_But-"_

"_NOW!" __Xhäs__ shouted. Po hastily dropped to all fours and attempted doing push-ups. "One!" he counted. Po tried and failed in lifting himself once more. "One and a half…?" __Xhäs__ said weakly. "This could be a while. Why don't we just try fighting? I might be able to show you a few moves?"_

"_Alright!" Po exclaimed excitedly._

_After half an hour of blood, sweat and tears, mostly tears, Po landed on his face for what seemed like the thousandth time._

"_Not bad, Po," __Xhäs__ said encouragingly._

_"Are you kidding?" Po muttered still on the floor. "Who was I kidding? Thinking I could learn kung fu? I couldn't even land a hit on you!"_

"_Hey, this is your first day, Po!" __Xhäs__ exclaimed. "Everyone sucks when they first start something. I mean, I bet you weren't an expert when you first started making noodles, were you?"_

_Po chuckled lightly, picking himself up and sitting on one of the steps to the courtyard. __Xhäs__ joined him. "Yeah, I can't remember how many times my dad screamed at me: 'No! The onions go _before_ the noodles!' or 'Po! Fingers are not acceptable in noodle soup! What are you crying about? Go do it again!'"_

_Xhäs__ let out a laugh. "Ya see?" he asked. "You just gotta keep at it, and you can be a kung fu master, just like you are a noodle master!"_

_Po was quiet for some reason, as though contemplating something. "__Xhäs?" he asked._

_"Yeah?" the Nobody asked._

_"Why are you helping me?" _

"_What are friends for?" Xhäs__ asked with a grin, repeating Axel's words._

"_You don't have to," Po muttered. "I don't want to waste your time… I'm just a big, fat, stupid panda after all…"_

"_Po," __Xhäs__ said seriously. He stood and moved in front of Po, forcing the panda to look at him. "We're friends, Po. I told you that it could happen back at your dad's restaurant. I'm gonna help you become a master. I promise you I'll be with you every step of the way."_

_Po looked up at him with tears in his eyes. He grabbed his friend in a bear hug. "Thanks, __Xhäs__…"_

"_No problem," __Xhäs__ grunted. "Now would you let go? I can't breathe!" Po released him and smiled sheepishly. __Xhäs__ grinned. "Now come on, we've got training to do."_

_End Flashback_

"Enough!" Shifu snapped, breaking Xhäsout of his daze. "Your next opponent will be me."

"Alright, yeah!" Po exclaimed, picking himself up off the floor. "Let's go!"

Xhäs took a glance at the Furious Five. They all seemed to be looking at Po in a new light. All of them minus Tigress seemed impressed by the panda's determination and spirit. Xhäs smiled. '_You see, Po?'_ he thought to himself. _'All it took was a little work.'_

Po had barely approached when Shifu whirled him around and threw him to the floor, which made a little shockwave. Then he pinned Po's arm behind him. "The true path to victory is to find your opponent's weakness and make him suffer for it." Shifu said.

"Oh, yeah!" Po said, smiling again, seemed to be enjoying the pain.

"Has he lost his mind? Or is he insane?" Crane asked Xhäs.

Xhäs shrugged. "Believe me, you have seen nothing."

Shifu whipped him around again, this time putting him into a finger hold. "To take his strength and use it against him." Shifu went on. He held Po by the lip. "Until he finally falls—or quits!"

His words seemed to have inspired Po. "But a real warrior never quits!" he exclaimed in a nasally voice. "Don't worry, Master Shifu, I'll never quit!" He didn't seem to catch Shifu's meaning.

Frustrated, Shifu threw Po into the air and leapt at him with a flying kick. The next thing Po knew, he was crashing out of the gates and skidding down the front steps. The Furious Five and Shifu watched him go.

"If he's smart he won't come back up those steps," Tigress growled.

"But he will," Monkey piped up.

"Po!" Xhäs shouted as he began descending the steps to aid his friend.

"Why do you help him?" Tigress demanded. "Just look at him! He can never become a true warrior!"

Xhäs paused before staring up at Tigress coldly. "Because that's what friends do." He stated. "We help each other out. We don't abandon each other just because it's convenient."

With that he took off down the steps without another word. Viper chose then to speak up. "Perhaps that's a lesson we can all learn." She said, watching the young panther chase after his friend. "They're not going to quit, are they?"

"He's not gonna stop bouncing, I can tell you that," Mantis crack, trying to lighten the mood. Viper hissed at him. Tigress stared after the two before leaving without a word. The remaining group shortly followed.


	9. Chosen

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. But on the bright side, I made this Chapter super long! ...That's a good thing, right? As you can probably tell, I'm going to be skipping months at a time during the main story. Unlike my first story, Pokemon: Keyblade Masters, I'll be spending several chapters in each world.**

**Once again, sorry for the wait. Please enjoy the final chapter of the Kung Fu Panda arc!**

* * *

_Jade Palace: Bunk House_

"OW!" Po shouted as Mantis stuck him with a needle. "I thought you said acupuncture would make me feel better!"

"And it will!" Mantis insisted. Xhäs watched the scene with interest. After he had gotten Po up the steps once more, (he was still sore) Mantis had been kind enough to relieve the panda's tired and abused muscles. Xhäs kept note of what Mantis was doing, figuring it could be a useful skill in the future. "It's just hard to find the right nerve points under all this…"

"Fat?" Po asked flatly.

"Fur, I was going to say fur!" Mantis defended.

"Sure you were," Po said, rolling his eyes.

"Who am I to judge a warrior based on his size?" the insect asked. "I mean, look at me!" Po glanced at his shoulder. "I'm over here." Mantis said on the other shoulder, sticking Po with a needle to add emphasis.

"OW!" Po shouted once more.

"Maybe you should take a look at this again?" Viper suggested, holding up a board that described a panda's basic anatomy.

"_Ooooh_," Mantis muttered. "Okay."

Xhäs sweat dropped as he sat back. He was pretty sure Mantis had no idea what he was doing at this point.

Po let out a sigh. "I know Master Shifu is trying to inspire me and all," he said. "But if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was trying to get rid of me."

Viper, Mantis and Xhäs all froze. The former two managed a fake smile while the latter just looked away.

"I know he can seem kinda heartless," Mantis said, hopping back up onto Po's shoulder and sticking the panda once more. "But you know he wasn't always like that."

"According to legend, there was once a time that Shifu actually _smiled_!" Viper added. Xhäs snorted.

"Shifu?" he asked. "No way!"

"Yes," Mantis chuckled.

Viper leaned in and began to whisper. "That was before-"

Suddenly the door slammed open and Tigress strode in. "Before Tai Lung." She finished.

"Uh, yeah," Crane said from the other room. They could see his shadow through the paper walls. "We're not really supposed to talk about that."

"Well, if they're going to stay," Tigress reasoned, a tad bit sarcastically. "He should know."

"Guys, guys," Po said nervously. "I know about Tai Lung. He was a student, the first ever to master the Thousand Scrolls of Kung Fu…"

Po trailed off as Tigress strode over to them, eyes narrowed.

"He wasn't just a student," Tigress explained. "Shifu found him as a cub, and raised him as his son. And when the boy showed the talent in kung fu, he trained him."

Xhäs and Po leaned in and listened intently to Tigress's tale. "He believed in him, he told him he was destined for greatness. But it was never enough for Tai Lung."

"What do you mean?" Xhäs asked.

"He wanted the Dragon Scroll." She explained. "He wanted to know the secret to limitless power. But it wasn't meant to be as Oogway saw darkness in his heart. Outraged, Tai lung laid waste to the Valley. He tried to take the scroll by force, not caring what, or whom, he destroyed. Shifu knew he had to stop and destroy what he created. _But how could he?_" Tigress added the last words softly. Shifu loved Tai Lung like he'd never loved anyone before," Tigress commented. "Or since." She added, thinking about how often Shifu had corrected her when she was younger. In his eyes, she would never match the talent shown by Tai Lung. Her gaze refocused and turned into a glare. "And now, he has the chance to make things right and train the true Dragon Warrior. And he's stuck with _you; _a big, fat panda who treats it like it's a joke."

Suddenly Po's face distorted into a goofy expression. Tigress became enraged. "That's it!"

"Wait!" Mantis cried, jumping onto the panda's head. "My fault! I accidently tweaked his facial nerve!" Po fell over, revealing his back covered entirely by needles. "And may have stopped his heart."

Tigress 'hmph'd' and strode out of the room.

* * *

_Jade Palace: Training Hall_

As Xhäs, Po and the others were having their conversation, Shifu sat meditating. "Inner peace," he murmured. "Inner peace." But for some reason, there was flapping sound that disturbed him

Finally, he opened one eye. "That's enough!" he snapped. "Would whoever is making that flapping sound, please quiet down!"

Shifu resumed his meditation position. "Inner peace…"

**BOOM!**

Shifu sighed heavily as Zeng dropped down. "Ah, Zeng," he exclaimed. "Excellent, I could use some good news."

The goose blinked at Shifu before gulping nervously…

* * *

_Sacred Peach Tree_

Oogway was outside under the sacred peach tree, deep in thought when Shifu raced towards him.

"Master, Master!" Shifu exclaimed, panting slightly from his running. "I have a bit- uh, it's very bad news."

"Ah, Shifu," Oogway chuckled. "There is just news. There is no good or bad."

"Master, your vision was right!" Shifu blurted out. "Tai Lung has escaped from prison! He's on his way!"

Oogway stared at him for several seconds before blinking. "That _is_ bad news," he said. "If you do not believe the Dragon Warrior is capable of stopping him." He added calmly.

"That…The panda!" Shifu scoffed. "Master, that panda is not the Dragon Warrior! He wasn't event meant to be here—it was an accident!"

Oogway shook his head slightly. "There _are_ no accidents." He reminded Shifu.

"Yes, I know." Shifu answered impatiently. "You've said that already, _twice_."

"Well that was no accident either," Oogway said, amused.

"Thrice," Shifu said dryly, holding up three fingers.

"My old friend." Oogway went on, "the panda will never fulfill his destiny, nor you yours, until you let go of the illusion of control."

"Illusion?" Shifu echoed.

"Yes, Shifu," Oogway tried to explain. "Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when suits me, nor make it bear fruit before its time."

"But there are things we can control." Shifu insisted. "I can control when the fruit will fall." He pointed out, kicking the tree and making the peach drop at their feet.

Shifu tossed the peach into the air and then leaped up to split it with a chop of his hand. He punched the ground, digging a small hole in the earth. "And I can control where to plant to plant the seed." He added, placing the peach pit inside. "That is no illusion, Master Oogway."

"Ah, yes," Oogway said. "Bu no matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange. But you will get a peach."

"But a peach cannot defeat Tai Lung!" Shifu argued.

"Maybe it can," Oogway countered, "if you're willing to guide, to nurture it, to believe in it." Oogway took a clump of dirt and covered the seed.

"But how?" Shifu asked. "How can I do that? I need your help, Master." He pleaded.

"No," Oogway said emphatically. "You just need to believe. Promise me, Shifu. Promise me that you will believe."

"I…I…" Shifu hung his head. "I'll try." He said finally.

Oogway smiled, and then glanced up at the sky. "My time has come," he said, looking back at Shifu. He handed his staff to Shifu. "You must continue your journey without me."

"What, what? What are you-" Shifu was confused. 'What are you talking about, Master? I—" the next thing he realized, his master backed away into the swirling cascade of cherry petals. "Master!" Shifu cried. "You can't leave me!"

Before Oogway stepped into the petals, he smiled gently at his old friend. "You must believe." He whispered. "In the Dragon Warrior _and_ the Chosen One."

"Master!" Shifu cried again. "Please don't go!"

Desperately, he ran after Oogway. But it was too late, by the time Shifu reached the cliff, Oogway had disappeared into the swirling cloud of petals. There was nothing left but mist.

* * *

_Kitchen_

"So, where are you from?"

"Huh?" Xhäs was confused by Crane's question. "Where do you mean?"

"I mean, well, we all know that you come from a place very far away. But-" Tigress said and Mantis quickly interjected.

"But we don't know what kind of place." He finished.

"Well, I'm…er… it's complicated." Xhäs replied.

"What, you mean you're from another world?" Monkey joked. Xhäs shifted uncomfortably.

"Alright, let's not talking when dinner's serve. Order up!" Po announced as he passed five bowls to his friends and saved one for himself. "Hope you'll like it." He added.

Mantis took a slurp of the soup, "This is really good." he announced.

"If you love my Secret Ingredient Soup, then you'd really love my dad's," Po told them. "Dad actually knows the secret ingredient."

Viper was surprised, "What are you talking about? This is amazing." She commented.

"Whoa, you're really a good cook." Crane commented.

"I wish my mouth was bigger." Mantis grumbled.

"Wish I could eat like this every day," Xhäs said with a grin.

"Tigress, you've got to try this." Monkey insisted.

She sat at the other end of the table, poking at a bowl of bland-looking white rice and tofu "It is said that the Dragon Warrior could survive for months at a time on nothing but the dew of a single gingko leaf and the energy of the universe." She commented, giving Po a meaningful look.

Po thought about this, his stomach rumbling. "I guess my body doesn't know it's the Dragon Warrior yet. And I've got a lot more to do, and, ah, universe juice." He said. The others chuckled at this.

Po picked up his soup and took a giant gulp. When he lowered the bowl, Monkey let out a snicker.

"What?" Po demanded.

"Oh nothing, _Master Shifu_." Mantis blurted out.

The others burst out laughing. A noodle hung from Po's face, making it look as if he had long whiskers like Shifu. Po laughed, too, and then started imitating the stern kung fu master. "You'll never be the Dragon Warrior, unless you lose five hundred pounds and brush your teeth!"

The Five, minus Tigress, laughed. Xhäs chuckled as well. "What is that noise you're making? Laughter? I've never heard of it!"

Po reached over and grabbed two empty bowls. He held them up like ears. "Work harder, panda! And maybe, someday, you'll have ears like mine." He joked.

Even Tigress couldn't help herself from laughing a little. Abruptly, everyone stopped laughing. "What?" Po questioned. "Ears not working for you? I thought it was pretty good."

"It's Shifu," Monkey hissed.

"Of course, it's Shifu!" Po replied. "Who else would I be imitating?"

A dead silence met his words, as the Five and Xhäs just stared behind Po. With a sinking feeling, Po turned around slowly. To his dismay, Shifu stood there, fuming.

"Ohhh! Master Shifu!" Po exclaimed. He quickly slurped up the noodle mustache clinging to his lip and put those two noodle bowls on his chest, making him looked like he had breasts. The whole group let out a laugh, sans Shifu.

"You think this is funny?" Shifu snarled. "Tai Lung has escaped from prison, and you're acting like children!"

Po was stunned, "What?" he said.

Shifu then turned at Po, "He's looking for the Dragon Scroll, and you're the only one who can stop him!"

Just then, those two noodle bowls had fallen down. Po started to laugh. "Here I am saying you have no sense of humor! I'm going to stop…"

Shifu stared at Po, deadly serious look on his face. Slowly it sank in. Po swallowed hard. "What? You serious? And I have to…" he shook his head vigorously from side to side. "Master Oogway will stop him!" he added desperately. "He did it before, he'll do it again!"

"Oogway cannot!" Shifu replied, "Not anymore." He sadly added.

Suddenly, they gasped and noticing that Shifu was holding Master Oogway's staff.

"Oh, no." Viper murmured

"He's…" Xhäs whispered.

"Yes," Shifu went on. "Our only hope…is the Dragon Warrior." He spat out the name.

Just then, Tigress snapped. "The panda?" she said in a tone of disbelief.

"Yes, the panda!" Shifu answered.

Tigress looked pale "Master, please." She started. "Let _us_ stop Tai Lung. This is what you've trained us for!"

"No!" Shifu shook his head. "It is not your destiny to defeat Tai Lung! It is _his_!" he turned to point at Po, but the panda was gone. Shifu's eyes were widened, blankly. "Where did he go?" he demanded, looked around the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Po had run outside in record time. Despite everything Shifu and Oogway had told him about destiny, along with Xhäs, there was no way he could defeat a warrior like Tai Lung. The snow leopard would destroy him in seconds.

_Whoosh!_

With an amazing leap, Shifu landed in front of Po, effectively halting the panda's progress. This was the scene that Xhäs walked onto.

"You cannot leave!" Shifu exclaimed, pointing the staff at Po. "A real warrior never quits!"

"Watch me!" Po retorted. He quickly tried to fake out Shifu, but the old master easily caught him and tossed him back. With a sigh, Po turned to face Shifu. "Come on!" he growled. "How am I supposed to beat Tai Lung? I can't even beat you to the stairs!"

"You will beat him because _you_ are the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu said, poking Po with the staff.

"You don't believe that!" Po exclaimed. "You never believed that! From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me!"

"Yes!" Shifu shouted. "I was! But now, I ask you to trust in your master, as I have come to trust in _mine_!"

"You're not my master," Po muttered. "And I'm not the Dragon Warrior."

"Then why did you stay?" Shifu demanded. "You knew I was trying to get rid of you. You stayed because deep down, you knew Oogway was right! You believed!"

"No, I didn't," Po said softly. Shifu looked at him, surprised, as did Xhäs.

"I stayed, because every time you threw a brick at my head or told me I smelled, yeah it hurt," Po began. "But it could never hurt more than it hurt every day of my life just being me." Po looked down at the valley, "Down there I'm the fat, clumsy panda that everyone laughs at. I don't fit in my father's kitchen. I don't fit between the tables. I don't even fit in my pants!" he paused. "I used to imagine that, somehow, all these things were for a reason. That there was some destiny for me being so... _me_." Xhäs kept quiet through all of this, feeling that Po needed to get this out. Po then turned his gaze back to Shifu. "I _stayed_ because I thought that if anyone could change me… Could make me _not_ me, it was _you_, the greatest kung fu teacher in all of China!"

"I can change you!" Shifu insisted. "I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior! And I will!"

"Oh, come on!" Po scoffed. "Tai Lung is on his way here now! And even if it takes him a hundred years for him to get here, how are _you_ going to change _this_," he cried, indicating his belly. "Into the Dragon Warrior? Huh?"

Shifu stared at him for a few moments, speechless.

"How?" Po repeated. Shifu remained silent.

"How? HOW?" Po shouted.

"I don't know!" Shifu snapped back. He looked down and muttered, "I don't know…"

"That's what I thought," Po scoffed. With that, Po spun around and strode back up that path, his destination unclear. Xhäs was about to follow him when he heard Shifu speak.

"And what is _your_ purpose?" Shifu muttered. Xhäs looked back at him. "Why are you here?"

"I'm just from somewhere far away," Xhäs said, not looking at him.

Shifu scoffed. "Please, you may be able to fool the panda, my students and the villagers," he said. "But you can't fool Master Oogway or me. I know of the ancient prophecies. And they speak of the ancient weapon in which you hold."

Xhäs turned to him in alarm. "What are you talking about?"

Shifu narrowed his eyes at him. "I know that you are the Key," he said. "And _as_ the Key bearer, you must know it is forbidden to meddle in the affairs of other worlds!"

Xhäs stared at him in shock. "I-I…"

"You have broken this principle," Shifu snorted. "A keeper of peace," he muttered sarcastically. "The Keyblade shatters peace and brings only ruin." He glared at Xhäs. "You now have no choice but to stay. You must clean up this mess you have made." With those final words, Shifu strode past him and towards the palace.

* * *

From above, Tigress had been watching the entire scene. She clenched her fist. '_That panda can't save us._' She thought.

She knew what had to be done. Suddenly she back flipped off of the roof of the palace and towards the village below. With practiced grace, she landed on the rooftop of the local inn.

Panting slightly from the adrenaline, she glanced back at the palace. "This is what you trained me for," she whispered before taking off.

She leapt from rooftop to rooftop, moving at breakneck speed. She suddenly became aware of the presence of several people around her.

"Tigress!" Viper shouted, as she kept pace with her.

"Don't try and stop me!" Tigress snapped.

"We're not trying to stop you!" Viper responded. "We're coming with you!"

Tigress glanced to her other side to see Monkey flash a grin and thumbs up. As one, the Furious Five leapt from the last house and into the untamed wilderness.

* * *

_The next day_

_Jade Palace: Bunkhouse_

Xhäs blinked his eyes open and yawned. He sat up and glanced around the room. Sighing, he picked himself up. '_I guess I better get going._' He thought sadly. As he walked towards the exit last night's events came to the forefront of his mind.

'_The Keyblade is meant to be an instrument of peace?_' Xhäs thought. '_But Shifu said it only brings ruin? Am- Am I not fulfilling my duty as a Key Bearer? But what _is_ my duty?'_

He was broken out of his thoughts as he heard a crashing sound. '_A Heartless?_' Xhäs wondered. Deciding to investigate, he made his way towards the pantry. Upon opening the pantry door he was greeted with the sight of Po inhaling several different snacks at once. The pantry looked like a tornado had come through.

"Po…?" he asked. The panda glanced at him.

"Xhäs you've got to try these!" he exclaimed. He glanced back at the jar he was eating from. "Oh, wait, I ate them all."

"Po," Xhäs said, glancing around the room. "Did you do this?"

The panda looked around as well. "I guess," he shrugged before he punched through a cabinet and withdrew a cookie.

"What in the world?" a voice asked from behind Xhäs. The duo glanced back to see Shifu staring at them.

"What?" Po asked through a mouthful of food. "I eat when I'm upset, okay?"

Shifu's eyes flashed for a second. "Oh, no need to explain," he said slyly. "I just thought you might be Monkey. He hides his almond cookies on the top shelf."

With that he left the room and quickly hid behind the door. Po gasped in delight before charging straight towards the shelves. It happened so fast Xhäs wasn't sure what happened. Suddenly Po was doing a perfect split, balancing between two shelves and stuffing his face with cookies.

Shifu burst back through the doors and looked at Po, half impressed half disgusted.

Po looked at Shifu pleadingly. "Don't tell Monkey,"

"I don't think that's what he's thinking, Po," Xhäs chuckled.

"Look at you," Shifu breathed.

"Yeah, I know, I disgust you," Po said wearily.

"No, no, I mean, how did you get up there?"

"I was wondering that myself," Xhäs said with a smirk.

"I dunno, I just… I don't know, I was just getting a cookie," Po shrugged.

"And yet you are ten feet off the ground and have done a perfect split!" Shifu exclaimed.

"No, this?" Po asked. "This is just-" he was interrupted as the shelves began cracking under his weight. "-an accident?"

He fell to the floor in a heap. The almond cookie that had been in his hand rolled towards Shifu. The old master picked up the cookie and smiled. "There _are_ no accidents," he said, mirroring his own master. "Come with me. You as well, panther!"

Xhäs watched his retreating back in surprise. Glancing at Po, he found the panda was just as confused as he was.

"Might as well follow him," Po reasoned. And that they did.

* * *

_Wu Dan Mountains_

Several hours later found Xhäs and Po, both laden with heavy backpacks filled to the brim with supplies, following Shifu up a steep and treacherous path up the mountains. Both of them were exhausted. Shifu didn't even look tired.

"Ugh," Po grunted. "I know you're trying to be all mystical and kung-fu-y, but you tell us where we're going?"

"You shall see in time, panda," Shifu said mysteriously. And so the duo followed him until they finally reached the summit.

Xhäs and Po dragged themselves up to see Shifu meditating by a pool of water. The entire area was thick with a mysterious fog.

"You dragged us up here for a bath?" Xhäs asked incredulously. "I understand you think Po smells, but this is taking it a bit far!"

Po seemed to feel the same way, but began washing his armpits nevertheless.

"Panda," Shifu said crossly, still not opening his eyes. "We do not wash our pits in the Pool of Sacred Tears."

"Huh?" Po asked, flicking the water off of his paw. "The Pool of…"

Shifu stood and gestured to the surrounding area. "This is where Oogway unraveled the mysteries of harmony and focus." He paused dramatically. "This is the birthplace of kung fu."

Po and Xhäs gasped. They looked around the sacred training grounds in complete awe. In their minds' eye, they could see Master Oogway perfecting his technique amidst the very rocks they stood among.

Suddenly Shifu leapt onto one of the taller rocks and entered a battle stance. "Do you want to learn kung fu?"

"Yes!" Po exclaimed in a voice tight with emotion.

"You bet!" Xhäs agreed.

"Then I _am_ your Master!" Shifu demanded.

"Okay!" Po agreed, tearing up slightly.

"Don't cry," Shifu said.

"Okay…" Po muttered, wiping his eyes, "Okay…"

Shifu led the two of them into an open field and had them take up the Iron Horse stance. "Now listen, panda." Shifu began. "When you focus on kung fu, when you _concentrate_, you suck."

"Gee, thank…" Po muttered.

"But perhaps that is my fault," Shifu continued. "I cannot train you as I have trained the Five. But I see now, the way to get through to you is with _this_.

He reached behind him and revealed a bowl of dumplings. "Oh, thanks, cause I am starving."

"Good," Shifu said, taking the bowl away. "When you have been trained, you may eat." He took one of the dumplings and ate it in Po's face.

"Yes, Master…"

"Do not expect the same treatment as the panda," Shifu warned Xhäs. "You will be receiving a different training regime. When I'm through with you, you will be a master of the leopard style!"

"O-Okay," Xhäs stuttered. He wasn't sure how Shifu planned on turning him into a master in a matter of days.

"Yes, _Master_!" Shifu stressed. Xhäs twitched.

"Yes, _Master_…" Xhäs repeated. Shifu nodded and smirked.

"Let's begin."

* * *

While Po's training consisted of unorthodox methods involving food, such as push-ups while trying to eat food over a fire, sit ups as Shifu held a bowl of dumplings over his head, etc. Shifu had Xhäs start out in a more by the book fashion.

"Breath, deeply," Shifu instructed as the two of them sat meditating. Po was in the background, doing pull ups.

"I don't see how this will help with kung fu," Xhäs muttered. Shifu opened one eye.

"It is to clear the mind, relax the muscles, and teach patience and discipline, which you severely lack." The old master explained.

Xhäs glared at him. "What?"

Shifu sighed. "Come with me."

Xhäs followed Shifu to a large waterfall. "You will meditate under this waterfall," he ordered. Xhäs rolled his eyes and did as he was told. "Now breathe deeply. Patience is a key element in kung fu. Leopard style in particular."

"And why is that?" Xhäs asked, shivering slightly from the cold.

"Why don't I put it this way?" Shifu said thoughtfully. "Water. Nothing is softer and more yielding than water. And yet, when it attacks, it is firm and strong enough to overcome even stone in time. The flexible will overcome the adamant and the yielding will overcome the forceful. If you practice patience, you possess the ability to overcome all trials." Shifu then left the panther to his own devices.

As Shifu left, Xhäs thought about what the old master said. '_Nothing is softer than water, yet it can overcome stone…'_ It was then he realized how he had been behaving towards Shifu his entire stay. '_I guess I have been kind of disrespectful, haven't I? I guess Shifu really does know what he's talking about. And this _is_ kind of relaxing…'_

"Panther!"

"Xhäs!"

Two voices broke through Xhäs's thoughts. He opened his eyes to see Shifu and Po (who looked ready to collapse) waiting for him at the edge of the waterfall. Xhäs quickly joined them and glanced at the sky. To his surprise, the sun was already setting over the horizon. He felt something poking him and turned to see Shifu handing him a towel.

"Well done, panther," he congratulated. "Have you learned anything?"

Xhäs nodded. "I'm sorry for the disrespect, Master," Xhäs said with a slight bow. Shifu nodded and the trio went off to make camp.

* * *

_The next day_

Training resumed as normal, Po doing his food-related exercises and Xhäs with his meditation. Shifu began having him build up his muscle strength. The emphasis of leopard style was speed and angular attacks. It did not rely on overwhelming strength, as the tiger did, but instead relied on speed and outsmarting its opponents.

Focus was on the knees, elbows, low kicks and leopard punches. A leopard punch was essentially a regular punch, but used the fore knuckles rather than the entire fist, and was much more rapid.

However, Shifu soon realized that regular training methods would be far too slow. He began integrating unorthodox and more general training into their training regime. This was what Xhäs was currently doing at the moment.

"Are you ready, panther?" Shifu called tossing a ball from hand to hand.

"As I'll ever be…" Xhäs muttered raising a stick. This was one of Shifu's training methods.

Baseball.

Apparently it was supposed improve accuracy and precision along with muscle strength.

Shifu nodded and hurled the ball. It flew by so quickly, Xhäs was thrown off balance.

"OW!" Po screamed. He was the catcher. Only problem was he had no glove. This was apparently to improve Po's blocking skills.

"This is gonna be a long day…" Xhäs muttered. Po only whimpered and cradled his injured paw.

For the next few days Shifu worked them like animals… Well technically they _were_ animals but… Anyway, they trained extremely hard.

On the final day, Shifu led them to a flat rock table under a maple tree. He set down a bowl of dumplings. Xhäs saw Po flinch. Apparently those dumplings now signified a brutal training day for him…

"After you," Shifu said.

…What?

"What?" Po asked. "Just like that? No sit ups? N-no ten mile hike?"

"I vowed to train you, and you have been trained," Shifu said. "You are free to eat."

Xhäs sighed in relief and leapt onto the tree instead. This was Po's reward, after all.

Po cautiously sat down and picked up his chopsticks. He picked up a dumpling and waited for Shifu's reaction.

"Enjoy," Shifu said with a smile. Po grinned and brought the dumpling to his mouth. Suddenly Shifu jumped up and snatched it away. He quickly stuffed it into his own mouth before Po could react. "I said you are free to eat," Shifu said as though nothing had happened. "Have a dumpling."

Po tried again with the same result. "You. Are. Free. To. Eat." Shifu said, stressing each word.

"Am I?" Po demanded.

"Are you?" Shifu challenged, twirling his chopsticks in an impressive manner. Po made a 'kung fu' sound and clicked his chopsticks together.

Po first slammed the table and sent the bowl of dumplings soaring into air. As the dumplings rained down, Shifu leaped into the air and gobbled all of them, except for one.

Xhäs watched as the student tried to overcome the master. Po moved with much more grace and skill than he had several days ago. He had come much farther than any of them could have imagined. Finally Po triumphed as he snatched the dumpling from the air.

Shifu allowed a small smile but was shocked when Po tossed the dumpling back at him.

"I'm not hungry," the panda said. He bowed to Shifu. "Master."

"Well _I_ am!" Xhäs exclaimed, leaping down, snatching the dumpling and devouring it. He blinked as the two stared at him. "Er, Master?" he added with a bow. Shifu and Po chuckled at him.

Suddenly Shifu turned serious once more. "You have passed your final test, panda," he said before turning to Xhäs. "Now you must pass yours." He walked away, picking up a medium sized bundle in the process. "Come with me, panther. Alone."

Xhäs glanced at Po, who nodded at him encouragingly, before following after Shifu. The old master led him to a secluded meadow nearby.

"Now, panther," Shifu began. "Perhaps it would be best if I first began answering any questions you have?"

Xhäs nodded. "Why have you been training me?" he asked. "I thought that it was Po's destiny to defeat Tai Lung and become the Dragon Warrior."

"And it is," Shifu nodded. "However, that is not the only prophecy that is in play here."

"The Keyblade?"

Once more, Shifu nodded. "The prophecy tells of a being that will come in our time of great need." He explained. "When Oogway ascended to the heavens, he spoke these last words to me: 'You must believe in the Dragon Warrior _and_ the Chosen One'."

"And you think this Chosen One is me?" Xhäs asked incredulously.

"Have you already not been chosen by the Keyblade?" Shifu asked him. Xhäs remained silent.

"So what is this test?" he asked finally. Shifu chuckled.

"Your final test is this," he said, unveiling the bundle he held in his hands. Xhäs gasped.

Within the bundle was a broadsword with a jade dragon etched onto the flat of the blade. Fused to the dull edge was what appeared to be a dagger.

"The Sword of Heroes?" he exclaimed. Shifu chuckled. "I don't understand."

"Then perhaps I should enlighten you?" Shifu asked. Xhäs nodded. "Once there were once four brothers who lived in a peaceful mountain village. The three oldest brothers became warriors, each mastering a different weapon. The first mastered the broad sword. The second mastered the halberd and the third the dagger. They fought many battles, boasted of their bravery, and were called heroes by the people of their village."

Shifu let this sink in before continuing. "The fourth and youngest became a blacksmith and made tools for the farmers of the village. The elder brothers mocked him as a coward and he was laughed at in town. It came to pass that three terrible mountain giants appeared one day and rampaged through the village, stealing the town's supplies of food. The three brave warriors went out to defeat the giants, each using his weapon of choice. The three fought valiantly, but were defeated and badly injured."

"The younger brother went out and gathered his brothers' weapons and took them back to his workshop. He disappeared for days, working round the clock. The village echoed to the sound of his hammer striking the anvil. When he emerged, he carried a mighty weapon such as the world never seen before. He had taken his brother's weapons and forged them into a single sword. He had enchanted the blade to be able to take on the properties and appearance of any weapon in existence."

"The youngest brother waited for the giants to return the next spring. And when the giants did return, the younger brother was ready and waiting. He slew the first giant with his sword taking on the shape of a broadsword. He then transformed his blade into a dagger and slew the other, then created a halberd and slew the third."

"The village was overjoyed and his brothers hailed him as a hero, the bravest and greatest warrior of them all. This fantastic weapon became known as the Sword of Heroes in honor of the four brothers. It has been foretold that the blade's true wielder would return and claim the sword."

Xhäs stared at Shifu for several seconds. "Wait, you think that person is me?"

"Were you not drawn to the blade?" Shifu asked. "On your first day?"

Xhäs jumped. "Wait, you saw me?" The old master nodded. "But why couldn't someone else just take it?"

"The panda has told you of the rumors that the blade was so sharp, it could cut someone just by looking at it?" Shifu asked. After Xhäs nodded his confirmation, he went on. "That is actually the blade itself forcing all other away. Until the day its wielder returned."

"Then how did you get it here?"

"The blade understands my purpose for doing so," the tone in Shifu's voice told Xhäs it was time to stop asking questions. "Now take up the blade."

Xhäs closed his eyes and took a deep breath before reaching out and grasping the hilt of the blade. Suddenly a feeling of vertigo washed over him. He faintly heard Shifu calling out to him, and felt himself falling backwards.

* * *

He was falling. He was falling through the sky, soaring past memories of his new life. '_What's going on?' _Xhäs thought to himself. For some strange reason, he wasn't afraid. He felt a peace with himself. Suddenly he felt his head hit water. He continued to fall as though he was still falling through the air. As he began approaching the ground, his body slowly righted itself.

Xhäs took a breath, slightly surprised that he could breathe at all. He looked down at himself to see he was back in human form. Looking around, he found he was standing on a pure black surface. All around there was nothing but darkness. He was eerily reminded of the time he was first reborn as a Nobody.

He took a single step forward, only to gasp in surprise as the ground exploded in a shower of pure white doves, revealing a circular, stained-glass platform. Upon it was the image of a boy that looked remarkably similar to himself. There were only minute differences in their appearances. The boy's ears were not pierced and he had chocolate brown eyes instead of red. '_Is that my Somebody?'_

"W-Where am I?" Xhäs asked, his voice echoing in the endless abyss. "Po! Master Shifu?"

**So much time…**

Xhäs jumped, instantly summoning his Keyblade in response to the voice. He began glancing around wildly.

**Take your time…**

Xhäs cautiously took a step forward, only for the ground to begin shaking. From the pillar, three platforms burst into existence. Upon each platform laid a copy of the Sword of Heroes.

In a brilliant shower of light, each sword transformed into a different weapon: a sword, a shield and a staff.

**Choose wisely.**

Xhäs stepped forward once more, and when nothing happened, made his way over to the weapons. Picking up the sword, he carefully removed it from the pedestal.

**The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Do you choose this power?**

Slowly, Xhäs shook his head and replaced the blade. He made his way to the staff and removed it.

**Power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin. Do you choose this power?**

Once again, Xhäs shook his head. He moved onto the third and final item and removed it from its pedestal.

**The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all. Do you choose this power?**

Xhäs waved the shield around a few times before nodding slowly. The shield immediately disappeared in a shower of light. It then reappeared. But not as a shield. In his hand was now the Kingdom Key, only this second Keyblade was inverted in color.

**The Kingdom Key of Darkness will lead your way…**

'_Kingdom Key D, huh?'_ Xhäs mused. Suddenly he detected movement among the shadows.

**You have chosen the power of the guardian.**

Suddenly, several silvery-white creatures appeared and surrounded him.

"What the hell?" Xhäs exclaimed. "Dusks? Stand down!"

The Dusks ignored his command and lunged at him. Xhäs growled and slashed at the offending Nobodies. He found dual-wielding the Keyblades to be more challenging than using a single one.

Once the lesser Nobodies had been dispatched, a path appeared before him… along with two others. One path led east, the other north, and the last led west.

The eastern path was an obsidian-black in coloration. He felt a sense of foreboding, yet oddly, comfort as well.

The western path was made of pure light. Xhäs felt something drawing him towards it, which made him uneasy, as there was a feeling of hidden danger as well.

Finally, the northern and middle path was a dull gray. Xhäs didn't feel anything from this path.

**Your path is set before you.**

**To the east is the path of darkness. You will be faced with many hardships and sorrow, yet you will be rewarded upon finding its end.**

**To the west lies the path of light. You will find an easy path on this road, yet you may meet a tragic end.**

**To the north lies the uncertain path. You must forge your own destiny on this path. Your fate shall be in your hands.**

Xhäs looked at all three paths in contemplation. He understood some people were afraid of what their fate would be and would gladly have someone tell them what would happen.

**No matter which you choose. You must take an oath…**

"An oath?" Xhäs repeated in confusion.

**The oath of all Keyblade wielders. It is your duty to uphold the sacred duty of the Keyblade.**

Xhäs nodded. "To uphold the peace."

**And maintain the balance between light and dark.**

Xhäs looked up, surprised. "Maintain the balance?"

The voice didn't answer his question.

**Choose…** Was all it said. Xhäs took a deep breath and strode forward… Right down the northern path.

**You have chosen the uncertain path. Your destiny lies in your own hands.**

**Remember… You must uphold your Oath…**

Xhäs looked down in surprise as the Kingdom Key in his left hand was enveloped in a bright light. When the light subsided, it had transformed into a white and blue Keyblade. It had two, white angel wings for a guard, and its shaft held two hearts. The teeth of the blade were designed into the kanji for 'hikari'.

…**or face nothing but Oblivion…**

Xhäs was prepared this time, as the Kingdom Key D was enveloped in a bluish-black aura and transformed into a pure black Keyblade. The hilt was comprised of two black bat wings that extended downward. The shaft was a deep black and the teeth were designed into the kanji for 'yami'.

**Go forth**

**And forge your destiny**

**Chosen One.**

* * *

"Panther! Panther!" a voice called. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" Xhäs asked intelligently. "Master Shifu?"

"You passed out upon touching the blade," Shifu explained. "And now the blade is gone! What has happened?"

"How long was I out?'

"Only several minutes," Shifu answered. "But what happened to the sword?"

Xhäs didn't answer. '_Was any of that for real? Or not?'_

"Panther?" Shifu asked again.

Xhäs slowly stood and reached out both hands. In a flash of light and darkness, Oathkeeper and Oblivion appeared in his paws. Shifu stepped back in surprise before composing himself.

"I see," he nodded. "The sword has accepted you as its master."

"What happens now?" Xhäs asked.

"Now we must return to the palace," Shifu said as the two of them began trekking their way back to Po.

The two of them found Po, and the trio began their trip down the mountains.

Xhäs looked out into the horizon as they began descending. '_I've got a promise to fulfill,'_ he thought. He glanced at Po. _'In more ways than one.'_ With that he followed the others down towards the palace.

* * *

_Several days ago_

_The Thread of Hope_

Tigress and the other members of the Furious Five sprinted down the path that led to an ancient rope bridge. Upon reaching the bridge, they stopped, each of them panting heavily.

On the other end of the bridge, a snow leopard stood staring at them coldly. Tai Lung let out a challenging growl. Tigress instantly responded with a growl of her own. With a snarl, Tai Lung launched himself down the bridge.

Tigress turned to her comrades. "Cut it!" she ordered. Monkey, Crane, Viper and Mantis each cut one of the ropes that held the bridge in place, causing the bridge to begin collapsing.

Tai Lung merely leaped from the bridge… right into Tigress's snap kick. Monkey and the others quickly grabbed onto an end of the rope as Tigress and Tai Lung landed on the bridge.

Tai Lung smirked and leaned against the ropes. "Where's the Dragon Warrior?" he asked casually.

"How do you know you're not looking at her?" Tigress responded stiffly. Tai Lung let out a laugh.

"You think I'm a fool?" he chuckled. "I know you're not the Dragon Warrior. None of you are!"

The Furious Five looked at each other nervously. "I heard he fell out of the sky on a ball of fire," Tai Lung continued as he leisurely began walking down the bridge. Tigress let out a warning growl. "That he's a warrior, unlike the world has ever seen."

"Po?" Monkey asked incredulously.

"So that's his name?" the snow leopard asked. "Po… Finally! A worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!"

Tigress finally snapped, as she leapt at Tai Lung, snarling all the way. Tai Lung easily dodged her first strikes, but Tigress was unrelenting, just as her kung fu style was. She sent Tai Lung flying off the bridge, but the snow leopard responded by grasping onto the rope and catapulting himself high into the sky.

Tigress barely had time to dodge as Tai Lung shattered a section of the bridge with one punch. Tai Lung sent a swift but powerful kick, connecting into Tigress's chest, sending her flying to the other end of the bridge.

"We've got this!" Monkey exclaimed to Crane. "Help her!"

Crane wasted no time in flying off to help his comrade. Viper swiftly followed. Tai Lung quickly let a grin show on his face. Clenching his fist, it began to glow a dark blue. He sent a bolt of darkness straight down the bridge, making contact with Tigress and sending her falling to her doom.

Suddenly Viper appeared out of nowhere and began striking at various spots, using her reflexes to keep out of Tai Lung's grasp. Crane soared out of the clouds, carrying Tigress with him. Suddenly Tai Lung managed to get a hold on Viper's throat.

"Monkey!" she managed to grunt. Mantis nodded to Monkey.

"Go help them!" the small insect shouted. Monkey handed him his ropes and surprisingly, the bug was able to hold it in place.

Monkey dashed down the bridge and with a flying leap, kicked Tai Lung square in the face. The leopard was sent flying to the other end of the bridge.

With a feral snarl, Tai Lung began charging down the bridge, leaving black flames in his wake. The Furious Five were disturbed by this.

"Mantis!" Tigress shouted.

Mantis lifted the ropes and brought them down again like a whip. This sent a ripple effect down the bridge that sent Tai Lung off balance.

"Now!" Tigress screamed. With a battle cry, Tigress, Crane, Monkey and Viper charged down the bridge toward Tai Lung. Working as one, they each took turns attacking the leopard. Crane cut the ropes in half, taking one end and tying it around Tai Lung. With one final leap, Tigress leapt from the bridge and delivered a final blow to the evil Tai Lung.

Screaming, the snow leopard was sent falling down into the endless abyss. Mantis pulled on the rope with all his might, sending his comrades flying back to solid ground. Each of them landed and scanned the foggy abyss in anticipation.

Tigress narrowed her eyes as she saw movement on the severed bridge. Suddenly a figured covered in a black aura landed behind them. The Furious Five turned in shock to see Tai Lung kneeling behind them. The black flames that surrounded his body slowly faded as he looked up with a triumphant smirk.

"Shifu taught you well," he praised before dashing forward and striking Monkey in the chest. The simian let out a horrible shriek as he fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, completely paralyzed. The Five looked into the golden eyes of Tai Lung in fear. "But he didn't teach you everything."

The last thing they saw was the color gold.

* * *

_Present_

_Jade Palace: Courtyard_

"The two of you have done well," Shifu praised.

"Done well?" Po repeated. "I've done awesome!" he cried, bumping Shifu with his fat.

Shifu quickly regained his balance. "The mark of a true hero is humility," the criticized. "But yes, you have done awesome." He added, swiftly punching Po in the gut. The two of them chuckled. Xhäs chuckled as well before a faint flapping noise was heard.

The trio turned in time to see Crane land in a heap. The Furious Five, all paralyzed, lay strewn across the yard.

"Guys?" Po exclaimed as he rushed over to them. "GUYS! They're dead! No they're breathing… They're asleep! No, their eyes are open…"

"We were no match for his nerve attack," Crane wheezed as he attempted to regain his breath.

"He has gotten stronger…" Shifu muttered as he revived Mantis with a series of quick jabs.

"Tai Lung?" Po gasped.

"Stronger?" Xhäs added incredulously. Shifu quickly revived Monkey, who proceeded to punch Po in the face out of reflex.

"He's too fast!" he cried as Shifu revived Tigress. "Sorry, Po!"

"I thought we could stop him…" Tigress whispered.

"He could have killed you," Shifu reprimanded.

"Why didn't he?" Mantis inquired.

"So you could come back and strike fear into our hearts," Shifu replied as he revived Viper. "But it won't work."

"Uh, it might," Po muttered. "I mean, _I'm_ pretty scared."

"You can defeat him, panda," Shifu exclaimed.

"Are you kidding?" Po asked. "I mean if _they_ can't… They're five _masters_, I'm one _me_!"

Xhäs coughed, catching Po's attention. "And what am I?"

"What do you mean?"

Xhäs rolled his eyes. "I'm fighting with you," he said. "I promised you I'd see this through. I'm not about to bail on you now."

Shifu nodded his approval. "And you will have the _one thing_ that no one else has," he said firmly. Everyone's eyes widened in shock. "Come."

The group made their way into the Sacred Hall of Warriors. Shifu approached the Moon Pool. The Dragon Scroll remained clasped in the statue's jaws.

"Y-You really think I'm ready?" Po asked hesitantly.

"You are," Shifu said, smiling softly. "Po."

Po's eyes widened as Shifu used his name for the first time. Shifu approached a painting of Master Oogway. Beneath it, his ancient staff lay resting upon a pedestal.

Gingerly, reverently, Shifu lifted the weapon and approached the Pool once more. With a deep breath, he began a set of complex and graceful movements. Xhäs, Po and the Furious Five watched as cherry blossom petals began rising from the water's surface. One of the petals landed on the Scroll, causing it to fall out of the dragon's mouth.

Shifu quickly brought out the staff and caught the scroll before it landed in the Moon Pool, which was rumored to be endlessly deep. As he caught the scroll, the staff lightly touched the water, causing a single ripple for form of the water's surface.

"That was awesome…" Po whispered to Xhäs, who could only nod in agreement.

"Behold," Shifu said quietly. "The Dragon Scroll." He held it out to Po. "It is yours."

"Wait," Po began. "What happens when I read it?"

"No one knows," Shifu admitted. "But it is said that you will be able to hear a butterfly's wing beat."

"Wow!" Po exclaimed. "That's cool!"

"Yes," Shifu agreed. "And see light in the deepest cave. You will feel the universe in motion around you!"

"Wow!" Po exclaimed, bouncing in excitement. "Can I punch through walls? Can I do a quadruple back flip? Will I have invisibility?"

"Focus!" Shifu ordered.

"Right, sorry," Po said sheepishly. Xhäs chuckled at Po's enthusiasm.

"Read it, Po, and fulfill your destiny," Shifu said. "Read it and become the Dragon Warrior!"

Po eagerly took the scroll and attempted to pry the lid off. Xhäs and the others watched as the panda struggled to open the simple scroll.

Shifu was not amused and held his hand out. Po handed it to him, and the master opened it a second later. "I loosened it…" Po muttered. He cleared his throat as a prepared to open the scroll. "Okay, here goes," he announced.

As Po opened the scroll, a golden light began shining off the paper, making the contents impossible to read. Po began screaming, causing Shifu, Xhäs and the Five to recoil in anticipation.

What power it must possess!

…

…

…

"…It's blank," Po announced.

"…What?" Xhäs asked.

"Here, look," the panda offered to Shifu and Xhäs.

"No, we are forbidden to…" Shifu began before glancing at the scroll and snatching it out of Po's hands. Shifu opened and closed the scroll several times and even checked the back. "I don't understand," Shifu said in confusion.

"So Oogway was just a crazy old turtle after all?" Po asked.

"I doubt that," Xhäs said. '_Especially since he was able to see right through me.'_

"Yes, Oogway was wiser than us all," Shifu agreed.

"Oh, come on!" Po exclaimed. "Face it, he picked me by accident. Of course I'm not the Dragon Warrior…" He plopped down on the ground. "Who am I kidding?"

"Po, don't be like that," Xhäs began.

"No, Xhäs!" Po snapped. "I'll never be the Dragon Warrior. I'm just me… a big, stupid, fat panda… I'll never be able to stand up to Tai Lung…"

"But then, who will stop him?" Tigress asked uncertainly.

Xhäs stared at Po. The panda was ignoring him completely. Shifu was staring into the Moon Pool and the Furious Five looked completely defeated.

"I will," Xhäs said. Everyone turned to stare at him in shock.

"What, why?" Po exclaimed.

"Because if you won't _someone_ has to," Xhäs retorted.

"Correct," Shifu said from behind him. Everyone turned to see Shifu staring at Xhäs. "And that someone will be _me_."

"Master Shifu," Tigress began.

"No," Shifu said firmly. "It was my own foolishness that caused all of this to begin with. I will be the one to end it. I want all of you to evacuate the valley. You must protect the villagers from Tai Lung's rage."

"But Shifu," Po whispered. "He'll kill you…"

"Then I will have finally paid for my mistake," the Master said solemnly. "Listen to me, all of you. It is time for you to continue your journey without me. I am very proud to have been your master." With that, he bowed to each of his students for the last time and turned back to the Moon Pool.

Xhäs was about to say something to him when he felt someone tugging on his arm. He turned to see Tigress shaking her head. "His heart is decided. We cannot interfere."

As Tigress led him away, Xhäs glanced back at Shifu for perhaps the last time.

* * *

_The Village_

Outside was pure chaos. The residents of the valley were all scrambling with their various possessions as they evacuated the valley. Xhäs saw Po waiting at the bottom of the steps. Tigress released Xhäs's arm.

"We've got to get them out safely," she said. "Viper, gather the southern farms, Mantis, the north, Crane, light the way." As the others took off to fulfill her orders, Monkey went off to find a young rabbit's family. Tigress herself began helping a pig family with their large cart.

"Po," Xhäs said, catching the panda's attention. "Why don't we find your dad?"

"Good idea," Po nodded. The two of them began weaving their way through the crowds and made their way to Mr. Ping's restaurant.

"Look," Xhäs heard one of the pigs mutter. "It's the '_Dragon Warrior'_" he said in contempt. Xhäs sent a glare that sent the pigs packing before the duo entered the restaurant.

"Hey, Dad," Po greeted weakly.

"Po! Xhäs!" Mr. Ping exclaimed in glee before rushing up and hugging his son. Po gladly reincorporated. As the goose pulled away, Po found an apron around his waist. "Good to have you back, son!"

"Good to be back," Po grumbled, his voice defeated.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Ping," Xhäs said politely.

"Let's go, boys!" Mr. Ping said, as he struggled to lift the large cart he had packed. Po quickly took the cart for his father. "So for our next shop, let's face it. The future of noodles is dice cut vegetables with longer slices."

Po paused for a second, glancing at the Jade Palace before looking at the ground in shame.

Mr. Ping glanced back to see his son and Xhäs moping about and sighed. "Po, I'm sorry if things didn't work out," he said. "It just wasn't meant to be. Po, forget everything else. Your destiny still awaits! We are noodle folk! Broth runs through our veins!"

"I don't know, Dad," Po said with a sigh. "Honestly, sometimes I can't even believe I'm actually your son."

Xhäs sweat dropped. '_Don't tell me he actually believes he's his father…'_

Mr. Ping looked uncomfortable as he began to speak again. "Po…" he said softly. "I think it's time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago…"

"Yeah," Po asked curiously. Mr. Ping glanced around before leaning in to whisper.

"The secret ingredient of my Secret Ingredient Soup," he said. Xhäs snorted.

"Oh…" Po said, slightly disappointed.

"The Secret Ingredient is," Ping said, lowering his voice even more. "Nothing."

"Wait, what?" Po and Xhäs both asked in confusion.

"You heard me," the goose said, chuckling. "Nothing. There is no secret ingredient!"

"Wait, so it's just plain old noodle soup?" Po asked.

"But it tastes ten times better!" Xhäs argued. "You mean you don't add some kind of special sauce or something?"

"Don't have to!" Ping chuckled. "To make something special, you just have to believe its special."

Po and Xhäs looked at each other. Both of them had come up with the same idea. Po quickly reached into the cart and pulled out the Dragon Scroll. The two of them looked at the scroll and upon their reflections.

"You just have to believe it's special," Xhäs said.

"There is no secret ingredient!" Po agreed. Mr. Ping looked at them in confusion.

"Let's get going!" Xhäs said with a grin. Po grinned back and the two of them took off back towards the Jade Palace.

"Wait, where are you going?" Mr. Ping shouted.

"Sorry, Dad!" Po yelled back.

"Please evacuate!" Xhäs added. "Just follow the lights!"

"Just hold on, Master Shifu," Po said in determination. "We're coming!"

* * *

_Jade Palace: Thousand Steps_

Master Shifu stood waiting upon the Thousands Steps as a storm began brewing around the palace. He closed his eyes as lightning clapped in the distance.

Upon opening his eyes, he was unsurprised to see Tai Lung standing before him.

"I have come home, Master," Tai Lung said.

"This is no longer your home and I am no longer your master," Shifu said stiffly.

"Yes," the snow leopard sneered. "You have a new favorite. So where is this 'Po'? Did I scare him off?"

"This battle is between you and me," Shifu retorted.

"So that's how it's going to be?" Tai Lung asked.

"That is how it must be," Shifu replied, entering a stance. Suddenly Tai Lung leapt into the air and delivered a kick aimed for Shifu's head.

The old master deftly dodged the attack by leaping backwards. Tai Lung grabbed a large chunk of stone and hurled it at Shifu. The old master swiftly punched the boulder, sending a bolt of chi down his arm, shattering the stone on impact.

Tai Lung burst through the debris and landed a punch square on Shifu's jaw. The red panda was sent flying through the gates of the palace and into the Sacred Hall of Warriors.

"I rotted in jail for twenty years because of _your_ weakness!" Tai Lung shouted.

"Obeying your master is not weakness!" Shifu snapped.

"You knew I was the Dragon Warrior!" Tai Lung snarled. "You _always_ knew. But when _Oogway_ said otherwise, what did you do? _What did you do_? Nothing!"

"You were not meant to be the Dragon Warrior!" Shifu exclaimed. "That was not my fault!"

"Not your fault?" Tai Lung repeated as he advanced on Shifu. "Who filled my head with dreams?" he kicked a pedestal at Shifu, which was dodged. "Who drove me to train until my bones cracked?" he hurled a shield at Shifu. "WHO DENIED ME MY DESTINY?" At this he took an entire weapon rack and hurled the blades at Shifu.

With practiced precision, Shifu deflected the blades into the ground. "It was never my decision to make!"

Tai Lung snarled and grabbed Oogway's staff. "It is now…" he muttered.

Shifu lunged at Tai Lung, the two exchanged lightning fast blows before Tai Lung managed to trap Shifu beneath the staff. "Give. Me. The Scroll!" he growled.

"I would rather die," Shifu growled back. Tai Lung applied more pressure to the staff, causing it to snap in two. Shifu looked at his master's last memento in sorrow. This gave Tai Lung an opening.

He landed an uppercut on Shifu, sending him flying through the roof of the palace. He leapt into the air, following after him. The two began exchanging blow in midair.

As they began to descend back towards the ground, Shifu got the upper hand and forced Tai Lung underneath him. Tai Lung snarled and sent a bolt of darkness at Shifu's face, stunning him. With a roar, he slammed Shifu into the ground, using the momentum from the fall in his favor.

Tai Lung leapt away to avoid impacting the ground. Shifu shakily stood back up as Tai Lung raced toward him, leaving black flames in his path. He began flailing at Shifu wildly, his hands engulfed in a black aura.

"Everything I did, I did to make you proud!" the snow leopard screamed. "Tell me how proud you are now Shifu. Tell me! _TELL ME_!"

He sent a blast of darkness at Shifu, sending the old master flying across the room.

"I was… always proud of you…" Shifu coughed. Tai Lung froze, the flames fading away. "From the first moment I've been proud of you. And it was my pride that blinded me. I loved you too much to see what you were becoming. What I was turning you into… I'm sorry."

Tai Lung stared at him for several seconds before snarling and slamming Shifu into the ground. "I don't want your apology." He growled, lifting Shifu up by the throat. "I want the scroll!" As he held Shifu above him, his eye caught the scroll-less dragon statue. "_What_?" He slammed Shifu into the ground once more. "_Where is it?"_

"Dragon Warrior has taken scroll halfway across China by now," Shifu grunted as he struggled to breathe. "You… will never… see that… scroll… Tai Lung!" Tai Lung unsheathed his claws. "Never… never…"

Tai Lung snarled and brought his claws down…

"Hey!" a voice shouted, causing him to pause. He turned to see a panda and a panther, leaning on their knees, panting in exhaustion.

"Why do they have to have so many damn stairs?" Xhäs wheezed.

"And just who are you?" Tai Lung demanded.

"The name's Xhäs!" Xhäs said.

"And I am the Dragon Warrior," Po announced before both of them leaned over again and began panting.

"You?" Tai Lung asked in amusement before turning to Shifu. "Him? But he's a panda! You're a panda! What are you gonna do, big guy? Sit on me?"

"Don't tempt me," Po cracked back. "Now, I'm gonna use this," he said, revealing the Dragon Scroll. "You want it, come-"

Tai Lung appeared in front of them, punching Po square in the face and snatching the scroll. Po was sent flying across the room. Xhäs jumped back in alarm before growling and attacking Tai Lung.

He punched Tai Lung in the face, causing the older leopard to growl and retaliate. The two began exchanging blows, but Tai Lung was easily gaining the upper hand. "You think you can beat me at my own style?" he laughed. Suddenly he was knocked away by Po. Apparently he had bounced off one of the support beams and ricocheted back to Tai Lung.

The snow leopard was sent flying into one of the support beams, but he did not bounce back as Po had. "What the…?" he muttered.

Po laughed and struck a mocking pose. "What now?"

Tai Lung snarled and began charging at him. Po panicked and began running away. Unfortunately, he ran into Xhäs, tripping them both, and allowing Tai Lung to tackle them down the stairs.

With a snarl, the snow leopard kicked Po and Xhäs into the roof of the lower palace. The duo landed next to a low hanging tree. Po got an idea.

He quickly grabbed the tree and used it as a whip, sending Tai Lung flying back across the courtyard. The leopard quickly recovered and tackled Po down the stairs. The panda lost his grip on the scroll, sending it flying into the air.

"That scroll is mine!" Tai Lung shouted.

"I don't think so!" Xhäs growled, running on all fours and snatching it out of Tai Lung's reach. The older leopard snarled and grabbed onto Xhäs's pants as he began clawing at the panther.

The two felines landed on Po, causing them all to begin rolling down the steps. Tai Lung took the brunt of the damage, whereas Po's fat protected him from harm. Xhäs, being in the middle just had to keep himself from being crushed by either of their weight.

As they reached the bottom, the scroll went flying once more, prompting Tai Lung to leap after it.

Po and Xhäs landed amid a large cart of noodles. "Ew…" Xhäs groaned. Po grinned however.

"I've got an idea…"

Tai Lung grinned in triumph as he reached for the Dragon Scroll… Suddenly a noodle lashed out and snatched the scroll away.

Po grinned as the scroll came flying back to him. "Ow!" he cried, as he was unable to catch it and ended up smacking him in the face. The scroll landed on the ground a few meters away.

Tai Lung lunged for it, but Xhäs, who was still standing among the pots and pans, sent a barrage of cookware at the snow leopard. As Tai Lung pealed a pan off his face, he found the scroll to be hidden under one of the pots.

Po quickly began shuffling them, just as Master Shifu had done with a set of bowls and a dumpling.

Tai Lung quickly grew impatient and smacked the pots away, smacking the scroll away in the process. With an irritated growl, Tai Lung punched Po in the face before taking off after the scroll. Xhäs quickly took off after the snow leopard.

As Xhäs raced to catch up to Tai Lung, he heard a sizzling noise behind him. Suddenly, he felt himself being picked up, and found himself sitting in a cart being powered by fireworks. The two of them ran over Tai Lung as Xhäs snatched up the scroll.

Unfortunately, they did not anticipate the fireworks to dissipate and the two of them were sent flying from the motion of the cart.

"Damn you Newton!" Xhäs shouted as he landed in a heap on the other side of a river. Po landed on top of him and the scroll landed on a nearby roof.

Po glanced behind them to see Tai Lung rushing towards them. Looking back towards the scroll, he imagined it to be one of Monkey's almond cookies.

Suddenly he found himself climbing the wall with incredible dexterity. Xhäs, still dazed, watched as Tai Lung began panicking.

"The scroll has given him power!" he shrieked. "NO!" Suddenly his body was engulfed in a black aura, quickly startling Xhäs back into focus.

"Darkness?" the panther exclaimed.

With a shout, Tai Lung leapt, punching the wall and causing the building to fall apart. Po snatched the scroll, only to fall victim to Tai Lung's tornado kick. The panda was sent flying into the ground. With a savage cry, Tai Lung slammed into Po with both of his fists, creating a huge dust cloud.

"Po!" Xhäs shouted in alarm.

Po looked up to see Tai Lung chuckling. "Finally…" the leopard muttered, picking up the scroll. "Oh, yes… The power of the Dragon Scroll is mine!" he cried, snapping the scroll open. He stared at it blankly for several seconds. "It's nothing!"

Po coughed as Xhäs helped him stand. "It's okay, I didn't get it at first either,"

Tai Lung looked at him in confusion. "What?"

Po cleared his throat. "There is no secret ingredient," he explained. Tai Lung threw the scroll down in frustration. "It's just you…" he finished, smiling at his reflection.

"No…" Tai Lung said lowly. Po and Xhäs looked at him in alarm. His entire body was shaking as he began glowing as sinister black. "You lie..." he said. "You have already taken the scrolls power…"

"No, you don't understand!" Po exclaimed. Xhäs had gone rigid. '_Don't tell me he's…'_

Tai Lung's head snapped up as he let out a savage snarl. "I'll just have to take that power back!" The dark aura around him spiked dramatically.

"That fool!" Xhäs snarled back as he summoned his Keyblades.

"What's happening?" Po gasped, stepping back.

"He's lost himself to the darkness!" Xhäs explained. "His power has been increased dramatically."

"What?" Po demanded. "You mean he's _stronger_ now?"

Xhäs nodded grimly. "But there's a downside," he said. "You lose your mind to the darkness. In essence, you become its slave. Eventually, you will begin to deteriorate if you can't regain control. That's what we call a Heartless."

"You mean those things that attacked at the ceremony?" Po asked. Xhäs nodded once more.

"Only much stronger than your average variety," he finished just as Tai Lung attacked. The snow leopard lunged at Po. Xhäs quickly stepped in and slashed at him with Oblivion. Tai Lung took the attack head on and simply resumed his attack.

"He's fighting like a mindless beast!" Po exclaimed in shock and a bit of fear.

"Heartless act on instinct alone," Xhäs managed to say before Tai Lung broke through his defense and sent him skidding back. "Fira!"

Tai Lung growled and dodged the ball of fire before quickly retaliating with a bolt of darkness. Xhäs conjured a circle of light to counter the attack. Xhäs charged forward and slashed at the snow leopard with both weapons.

Tai Lung charged as well, stopping Xhäs's assault short. The two began pushing against each other in an attempt to overpower the other. Tai Lung released Oathkeeper, letting it slam into the ground. Seizing the opening, the snow leopard clawed at Xhäs, his paw engulfed in darkness.

"Reflect," Xhäs muttered. The claw bounced off of Xhäs's shield, causing it to shatter. The shards of the shield quickly homed in on the older leopard. Xhäs took Tai Lung's distraction and back flipped, kicking Tai Lung in the jaw in the process.

Tai Lung, distracted by the blow, was unable to protect himself against the shards flying at him. A small explosion occurred, obscuring Tai Lung from sight.

Suddenly a bolt of darkness flew from the dust cloud, catching Xhäs by surprise. The panther was sent flying back into Po, who was too preoccupied in watching the battle.

"Po!" Xhäs exclaimed. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm – watch out!" Po shouted. Xhäs suddenly felt immense pain as he was sent flying out of the way. He glanced up to see Tai Lung standing over a frozen Po.

"Farewell, Dragon Warrior," Tai Lung snarled.

"Po!" Xhäs cried.

With a bestial roar, Tai Lung jabbed at Po's belly, causing the panda to collapse. Xhäs was about to fire a spell at Tai Lung when they heard a giggling noise.

It was coming from Po! Tai Lung, insulted, jabbed at him again. This only caused the panda to laugh harder.

"Stop!" Po giggled. "It tickles!"

Tai Lung, unable to process the request due to the haze of darkness, simply began raining more blows on Po's belly. Xhäs watched all of this in shock.

Po slowly stood up, still giggling slightly. Tai Lung let out a cry of rage and slammed his fist into Po's belly with all his might. The force of the blow was absorbed by Po's fat belly, causing it to be rebounded on Tai Lung with ten times the power.

The snow leopard leapt out of the dust cloud and began throwing wild punches at the panda. Po managed to block them and stomped on Tai Lung's foot.

The leopard clutched his foot in pain, allowing Po to grab onto his tail. Using the tail as a whip, Po threw Tai Lung into the air and head butted him. Tai Lung, attempted to bite the panda, but Po, still holding his tail, brought it up, causing the leopard to bite himself.

Po kicked Tai Lung away, sending the leopard flying into a building. With a roar, Tai Lung charged out of the debris towards Po. The panda squared himself and waited. As Tai Lung leapt at him, Po used his belly to smack him high into the air, past the clouds.

Xhäs and Po waited in apprehension. Finally, Tai Lung reappeared, falling out of the clouds. Po moved one step back, allowing the leopard to slam into the ground, creating a cat-shaped crater.

"You… can't defeat me…" they heard Tai Lung mutter weakly as he climbed out of the crater. "You're just a big… fat… panda!" he cried, jabbing at Po one last time.

Po easily caught his paw… by the finger. "I'm not a big fat panda," Po stated. "I'm _the_ big fat panda!" He glanced at his hand and lifted his pinky.

Tai Lung gasped. "The Wuxi Fingerhold!"

Xhäs frowned. '_Again with this hold?'_ he asked. _'What's so bad about it?'_

"Oh, you know this hold?" Po asked, mirroring Shifu from days past.

"You're bluffing," Tai Lung said desperately. "You're bluffing! Shifu didn't teach you that!"

"You're right," Po agreed. Tai Lung smiled hopefully, only for his hopes to come crashing down. "I figured it out." He flexed his pinky. "Skadoosh."

Xhäs's eyes nearly popped out. '_No way!_' he thought as he quickly covered his eyes as a brilliant golden light engulfed the area, sending dust and debris everywhere.

From the outskirts of the valley, the villagers and the Furious Five turned in time to see a golden explosion and a great gust of wind blowing past them.

Glancing at each other, the resident animals rushed back to see what could have caused such a thing. The Five looked at each other in shock.

"Master Shifu…?" Tigress whispered.

"Wait, where's the panda?" Crane asked. "And the panther?"

"You don't think…?" Viper began.

"Let's find out!" Monkey cried, rushing past them. They quickly followed.

The village was in ruins. The village inhabitants surveyed the damage in awe and fear. Suddenly there someone cried out.

"Look!" a pig shouted, pointing at the dust cloud. Two figures could be seen walking towards them. "The Dragon Warrior!"

Slowly, Po stepped out of the dust. A pan rested on his head and an apron wrapped around his neck. Xhäs stepped out from behind him, rubbing a bruise on his head.

Suddenly the crowd began cheering wildly. "Dragon Warrior! Dragon Warrior!" they cried. Several pigs attempted to lift Po onto their shoulders, but quickly gave up and settled for patting him on the back.

"That's my boy!" Mr. Ping shouted in pride. "The big kung fu warrior is my son!"

Po rushed forward and embraced his father. "Aww," the crowd cooed.

"Xhäs, get in here!" Po said with a grin, pulling the panther into a group hug. The pan fell off of Po's head and began rolling into the crowd.

When Xhäs heard it stop short, he looked up to see the Furious Five standing before them.

"Hey, guys," Po muttered, smiling weakly. Tigress stepped forward. Both Po and Xhäs braced themselves for a cruel remark but were shocked as she bowed.

"Masters," she said respectfully before rising once more with a smile.

"Masters," the rest of the Five parroted, prompting the rest of the village to do the same.

Xhäs grinned as he saw Po blush in embarrassment. "What'd I tell you?" he asked. "I told you I'd help you become a master."

Po smiled at him. "Thanks, Xhäs," his eyes suddenly widened. "Master Shifu!" Xhäs's eyes widened as well and the two of them took off towards the palace without another word.

As they entered the Sacred Hall of Warriors, they spotted Shifu, lying motionless on the floor. "No!" Xhäs exclaimed as they rushed over to the fallen master.

"Shifu!" Po shouted, gingerly turning the red panda over. "Are you okay?"

Shifu groaned as he blinked his eyes open. "Po…" he muttered. "You're alive… Or we're both dead…"

"No, Master, I didn't die," Po explained. "I- We defeated Tai Lung!"

"You did?" Shifu asked in surprise, though is voice remained weak. "Wow… It is as Oogway… foretold… You are the Dragon Warrior… You have brought peace to this valley… and to me… Thank you, Po… Thank you… thank you… thank…" His voice trailed off as he closed his eyes peacefully.

"No…" Xhäs whispered.

"No!" Po exclaimed. "Master, don't die, Shifu, please!"

"I'm not dying, you idiot!" Shifu snapped. He quickly regained his composure. "I mean, Dragon Warrior…" He closed his eyes once more. "I am simply at peace… finally…"

"Oh…" the two muttered in embarrassment.

"So, I should probably stop talking, right?" Po asked.

"If you can..." Shifu replied lazily, but with a hint of warning. Po stretched out and lay beside him, staring at the ceiling.

Xhäs plopped himself down on the steps of the Moon Pool and sighed in relief. They were silent for several moments…

…

…

"You wanna get something to eat?" Po asked.

"Yup," Xhäs nodded. Shifu sighed in irritation.

…

…

"Yeah," he agreed.

* * *

_Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom_

Po, Xhäs and Shifu sat beneath the blossoming peach tree, enjoying a peaceful meal after all their labors. Xhäs and Po leaned against the tree together.

"So what are you gonna do now?" Xhäs inquired.

"What do you mean?" Po asked in confusion.

"I mean, you accomplished your goal, right?" Xhäs asked. "What now?"

"What do you mean, 'what now'?" Po exclaimed. "I'm an awesome kung fu warrior! I'm gonna spend the rest of my life doing super awesome stuff!"

Xhäs chuckled as he turned to the horizon. The sun was fading away... It was time to go.

"Well you're gonna have to do all that stuff without me," Xhäs said with a sad smile. Po froze in the middle of a 'kung fu' pose.

"What?" he asked. Xhäs sighed.

"I can't stay here, Po," he said softly. "I have responsibilities elsewhere. People I need to get back to… Even if some of them I'd rather not see again…" he muttered, thinking of a certain blue-haired jackass.

"So when are you leaving?" Po asked sadly. Xhäs glanced at the setting sun again.

"Now," he replied. Po looked up, startled.

"Now?" he repeated. Xhäs nodded as he stood, catching the attention of the Shifu.

"I'm glad to have met you, Po," he said, smiling.

Po quickly stood and gave his best friend a bear hug. "I'll miss you,"

"I'll miss you, too, big guy," Xhäs chuckled. As Po released him, Xhäs turned to face Shifu. He approached the old master and bowed. "Thank you for everything, Master Shifu."

"It is I that should that you, Xhäs," Shifu smiled, using his name for the first time. Xhäs lifted his right paw and summoned Oblivion.

"I guess you want this back…"

Shifu held up his hand and shook his head. "No, the blade has chosen you as its wielder."

Xhäs looked up in surprise. "But it's an ancient artifact!"

"Meant to be wielded by a master," Shifu said. "By accepting you as its master, it has lost all ties to his world. It is now, by all means, a Keyblade. Wield it with honor, young Keyblade Master. And always uphold your oath."

Xhäs nodded. "Or face oblivion." With a final bow, he turned to both of them with a sad smile. "Bye…"

"You will always be welcome here," Shifu said as Po wiped his eyes. Xhäs managed a half grin before taking off and leaping off the cliff. He could hear Po's cry of alarm before he disappeared in a Dark Corridor.

* * *

_The World That Never Was_

Xhäs reappeared in the Grey Area. Unsurprisingly, Saïx was waiting for him, the ever present smirk on his face.

"You've returned," he said. Was that disappointment in his voice? "Well what do you have to report?"

Xhäs stared at him coldly. "The world was inhabited by animals," was all he revealed.

The blue-haired Nobody raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"It is," Xhäs nodded.

"Then why do I feel as though you are lying?" Saïx asked.

Xhäs just walked past him without another word. He knew Saïx would be pissed, but right now, he didn't particularly care.

As he rounded the corner, he heard two familiar and welcome voices arguing in a nearby hall. With a chuckle, he quickly headed in that direction. "Home sweat home…"


	10. The Game

Xhäs followed Axel as the pyro led him down the streets of the World That Never Was. It was raining, as per usual. The various inhabitants that actually ventured out into the bleak rain kept to themselves and scurried along past them.

It had been several months since he had returned from Po's world and he was eleven now. He had to say he rather missed the big lovable panda, but being back with Axel and Larxene made up for it.

Seeing the expression on Xigbar's face when he bested him in combat was priceless. The Freeshooter was a menace with his arrow guns, but once you had him disarmed, he was a sitting duck. Larxene had shown him that she was no amateur at CQC, (Close Quarters Combat) however and he still had some bruises from their last spar.

Saïx had been quite cold to him as well, though that was of no surprise.

Right now, Axel was leading him to who knows where.

"Just where are we going, eight?" Xhäs asked irritably as a car drove past them, getting water all over his shoes.

"Relax, thirteen," Axel replied easily, using his dominion over fire to dry their shoes. After what seemed like several hours, they finally entered a dark alley.

"Where are we?" Xhäs asked.

"Watch," the pyro said with a grin. He quickly pushed a large dumpster aside as though it were nothing. Xhäs blinked as a door was revealed. Axel knocked on the door three times.

A small window in the door opened, revealing a pair of blue eyes. "Pass-phrase?"

"Oh, come on, don't do this," Axel groaned.

"Either say the damn pass-phrase or get out of here," the voice said, a bit smugly.

"Fine," Axel growled. "Luxord is a sexy beast."

"Why, I'm flattered, Axel," the voice chuckled before opening the door, revealing Luxord himself standing before them. "Ah, welcome, Xhäs. It appears you've been deemed trustworthy enough."

"Er, thanks?" Xhäs said uncertainly, still not understanding what was happening.

"Well don't just stand there, get in," the blonde ushered them inside. Xhäs's eyes widened at the sight.

Before him was a round table with several familiar faces sitting around. Xigbar sat leaning in his chair, a beer in one hand and a cigarette in his mouth. Demyx sat strumming his sitar muttering to himself. Zexion was a surprise to Xhäs. The silver-haired boy was usually quiet, cold and composed. The boy before him now appeared to be completely smashed already and was relaying rather loudly to a silent Lexaeus a rumor he had heard about Saïx and Xemnas and their illegitimate love child. A stereo sat on a long table, playing some song that Xhäs didn't recognize. Next to the stereo was a cooler with various alcoholic beverages.

Xhäs felt an arm around his shoulder and turned to a grinning Axel. "Welcome to the club!"

"Club?"

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" Luxord asked, raising an eyebrow. "This is a group of select individuals within the Organization, whom we trust enough to uphold one of our most sacred traditions…"

"We're here to play poker," Axel interrupted. Luxord glared at him. "Sorry. You were taking too long."

The blonde cleared his throat. "In short, yes, we are here to play poker,"

"So _that's_ why you had me bring my money," Xhäs said in realization, his hand finding its way to his wallet in reflex.

"Well we're the last here, so let's get started!" Axel exclaimed. Luxord nodded and summoned his card deck.

"This is everyone?" Xhäs asked Axel. The pyro nodded.

"Yeah, everyone we know that won't go squealing to Xemnas," he replied.

"What about Larxene?" the younger boy inquired. Axel laughed.

"We already tried bringing her in, but she got disgusted after ten minutes and just took off," he explained. "Besides, this is a man's game! No need to let Xeny get everyone down."

Luxord began dealing the cards. "Since we have a newcomer, we shall have a few practice rounds before the _real_ game starts,"

The next few minutes were spent teaching Xhäs how to play properly. Xhäs was surprised by Luxord's cards. Each of them held an illustration of one of the Organization. Xemnas was the Ace, Xigbar was the two, Xaldin three, Vexen four… until it ended with Xhäs as the King.

The game started, and the first few rounds saw conservative betting, the players testing each other's strengths and weaknesses, everyone waiting for the others to make the first mistake.

Almost as if in agreement with this strategy, for the first half hour nobody had any _real_ winning hands, it all going down to who had the highest value cards. Xhäs was the first to get anything worth anything, and it was just a pair of two and the pot was small during that round. During the tenth round however, there seemed to be some unspoken agreement that everyone chose to abide by, although it also could have had to do with the fact that right off the bat several people suddenly had working hands.

With the same smirk he had been sporting the whole night, Xigbar raised the stakes a bit. "I bid two thousand." Xigbar had a lousy poker face… But of course since he kept it the same, good hand or bad, said that he was either better than they thought, or an absolute idiot.

Looking down at his own pair of sevens, Hearts and Clubs, an eight of Diamonds, a ten of Hearts and the Ace of Spades, Xhäs decided that Xigbar was an absolute idiot.

Luxord then took the _exact_ same amount from his own stacks and tossed it in, saying, "I'll match." Suddenly everybody knew the real game had only just started.

Zexion smiled goofily at his cards before taking twice the amount and said, "I'll see two thousand, and raise two thousand. Yes, that will be just lovely."

Frowning at the drunken boy, everyone else hesitated for a moment before matching the four thousand bet. Until it got to Xhäs. "I'll raise another two thousand," he said, casting in six thousand. Axel chuckled and raised the stakes to eight thousand. Demyx was looking rather hesitant all of a sudden but matched the pyro's bet. Lexaeus simply matched the eight thousand and added another two thousand to make it an even ten thousand.

Xigbar lost his smirk the tiniest sliver, but not to the degree that said he was worried. Thankfully, before the betting could continue, everyone was offered the choice to discard and draw fresh cards for their hands. Xigbar took three, Luxord took one, and Zexion discarded his _entire_ hand and took five fresh ones. Axel took two while Demyx took three. Lexaeus discarded only one card and gave himself a new one.

"Bet remains at ten thousand," Luxord announced. "Xigbar, your bid."

"I'll match at ten thousand," he said without enthusiasm, putting a full stack of chips into the pot. Luxord matched, though somewhat reluctantly. For some reason, Zexion seemed very happy and raised it to 15,000. Demyx frowned at him and sighed. Everyone knew drunken boy didn't have anything, but this was getting a bit too rich for him. Not if he wanted to stay in the game for any length of time.

"I fold," he said, tossing his cards down and took up his sitar once again. Axel matched the bet a bit reluctantly. Xhäs glanced over his cards and at the other players in turn. Three of a kind with an Ace and two of Spades was the best hand all night that anybody had seen. It wasn't the best in the game by a long shot, but unless the others were cheating, he had the best hand and could win this round easily. The question was: did he try and draw out more by betting low? Or make the others drop out by raising it higher?

Finally he decided to follow Zexion's example. "I'll raise another five thousand," he said, putting in to stacks of chips. It was the most impressive pot of the night already, and then some.

Lexaeus simply matched his bet and raised it another five thousand, making the bet 25,000.

At the end of the pass, Luxord asked if anyone wanted any more cards, but they all declined and Xigbar quickly matched the 25,000 bet. Zexion almost raised it again, but a sharp jab from Demyx's sitar convinced him not to and simply matched it. Axel sighed and folded. Xhäs stayed in the game, then smirked at Xigbar from across the table and raised the bet to 30,000. Lexaeus folded that round and took up a beer.

All through the game, they had all been drinking. Though Xhäs tried not to, Axel had finally convinced him during the fifth round. The drinks were finally getting to them and it showed in their speech and actions. Apparently none of them had very good tolerance for alcohol.

"Okay…" Luxord muttered. "Who'sh turn ish it?"

"I dunno…" Xhäs muttered. "Whatever… call!"

Xigbar laughed. "Read 'em and weep boys!" he exclaimed. "Pair of Kings, all Hearts and Diamonds!"

"That'sh a pretty good hand, ishn't it?" Zexion asked before laying down his own hand… of two pair with fives and nines and a Jack of Clubs.

"Wow, that's pretty good," Xhäs complimented, not quite as drunk as his comrades. "But my three sevens, Ace of Spades and two of Spades beats it."

"That'sh fine," Zexion shrugged.

"Next round?" Xhäs asked with a smile as he raked in his rather impressive winnings. Everyone scowled at him.

* * *

It was the final found. The pot had made its way to a nearly impossible amount. Demyx had run out of money, but instead bet guitar lessons instead.

Xhäs smirked at the group. "What do you have?"

"King-ten flush," Demyx said.

"Damn it," Luxord muttered. "Two pair,"

Xigbar grinned triumphantly. "Four of a kind!" he exclaimed as he revealed four fives, face up.

Xhäs, who had sobered up quite a bit, laughed. "Five of a kind," he said, throwing down four Kings and a Joker. His own grinning face and the Nobody sigil on the cards mocked the group. The odds were astronomical… Xhäs, the newcomer, had just beaten them.

"Alright, Xhäs!" Axel and Zexion both cheered. Both of them were completely hammered.

"I'll just be taking my winnings now," Xhäs said with a grin, raking in his prize as Xigbar nearly began crying.

"Alright!" Axel cheered, throwing an arm around Xhäs's shoulder. "So what are you gonna do with all that dough?"

"Oh, I think I know just what to do with this…" Xhäs muttered, weighing the sack of money in his hands.

"Ugh, we need to get back…" Xigbar muttered. He waved a good-bye to his comrades before exiting the room and down the street.

Dark Corridors were not an option, as complete focus was needed to teleport. If one was distracted by things such as alcohol or even intense thoughts or emotion, they could end up anywhere.

Demyx came over, Lexaeus supporting both him and Zexion, who was passed out. "We can start your lessons this weekend!" he said before the trio made their way out.

Axel stretched. "We better get goin' too…"

"Thirteen…" a voice said from behind them. They both turned to see Luxord stumbling towards them. "I need to tell you something… Something important…" he sounded a bit funny… and not from the alcohol.

"Luxord?" Axel asked in confusion.

The blonde Nobody stared at him. "The cake… is a lie…"

…

…

…

"What?" Xhäs asked. Luxord looked up dramatically.

"The cake is a lie!" he said emotionally.

"I don't und-"

Suddenly Luxord grabbed the front of his cloak and brought their faces mere inches away.

"THE CAKE. IS. A LIE!" he screamed.

"You're scaring me!" Xhäs exclaimed.

"Whoa, there," Axel said in amusement, prying the blonde off of the younger boy. "Looks like you've had too much to drink. Let's go."

With that, Axel began dragging Luxord out of the room, still muttering 'The cake is a lie'. Xhäs remained, still shaken slightly. '_Just what the hell was that?'_ he thought. '_He was probably just drunk… yeah, that's it…'_ Nodding to himself, Xhäs glanced back down at his winnings with a grin. '_Oh, yeah, I know just what to do with this…_'

With that thought in mind, he quickly opened a Dark Corridor to Twilight Town.

* * *

**A/N: I understand that this chapter may seem a little unnecessary, but that ending should somewhat explain why I added it. Hopefully you can figure it out.**

**This chapter was pretty fun to write =)**

**I'm not really certain on the value of Kingdom Hearts munny, so I just winged it and tried to avoid using the actual term 'munny'.**

**Sorry for any poker mistakes. I'm actually not very good at it. xD**


	11. The Land of Four Nations

Xhäs tried to keep himself from panicking. '_This is insane..._' he thought to himself. _'How can they expect me to do this?'_ Xhäs took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.

Glancing around, he observed his comrades. Demyx and Larxene appeared to be struggling with their task as well. Zexion was breezing through his as though it was nothing.

He silently wished that Axel was here to aid him in this insanity, but that would be against the rules. Plus, Axel would probably be more of a hindrance than a help in this particular field.

Xhäs glared at the obstacle before him.

"Damn you geometry..." he muttered as he once again began to write his answers on the test sheet. Vexen sat at his 'teacher's' desk and observed them all. Axel and Saïx, being older, were in a different study group along with Luxord and Marluxia.

Just why were they doing geometry when they could be doing something that could actually be applied to a real life situation? Simple. Because Vexen said so.

_'I refuse to allow our members to be complete dunderheads!'_ Was his excuse. Honestly, Xhäs would much rather be playing guitar with Demyx right now or sparring with Larxene. Or even, heaven forbid, pulling pranks with Axel.

It had been a month since Xhäs's first poker game and things had been slightly strange since then... Well mostly with the individuals that were not in the 'Poker Circle' as Luxord liked to call it.

Xemnas now only showed himself when he called for meetings among the Organization or when he personally called upon someone, which was almost never and when it did happen, it was usually Saïx, Xaldin or Vexen.

Saïx had been sending Xhäs on amplitude of missions. Nothing major... yet. They were either missions that could have easily been done by someone like Demyx, who almost never went on missions or they seemed pointless altogether. Apparently, Saïx just wanted him out of the castle. Xhäs was more than happy to comply and afterwards he usually just met up with Axel and/or Larxene at the clock tower.

Other than that, nothing big had happened, but Xhäs had the feeling that was going to change very soon...

Ten minutes later, Xhäs finally finished the damnable geometric test. The others had finished several minutes ago. (Zexion left right after he had first glanced at him.)

Xhäs handed his test to Vexen, who was busy grading the others' tests, and left out the door. As he wandered down the hallway his mind began to wander.

'_Am I doing the right thing?_' he asked himself. _'My duty is to uphold the peace and maintain the balance... But what does that _mean _exactly?'_

"My lord..." a voice mumbled. With a sigh, Xhäs turned around to see a Dusk waiting behind him.

"Let me guess. Saïx?" he asked, slightly irritated. The Dusk merely nodded and disappeared. Sighing yet again, Xhäs made his way to the Grey Area.

Upon entering, he found the blue-haired Nobody already waiting for him. Sitting not too far away was, to Xhäs's relief, was Larxene.

"Tsk, tsk, late once-"

"Just tell me what the hell you want me to do," Xhäs snapped, cutting him off. Saïx glared at him coldly before smirking.

"The Superior has found interest in a new world," he explained. "While Vexen has already returned after analyzing the situation, we want the two of you to... confirm our information."

Xhäs raised an eyebrow at him. Just what was that supposed to mean?

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Larxene asked, much to Xhäs's amusement.

"You should figure it out once you arrive," the blue-haired Nobody said, avoiding the question. He turned around and opened a Corridor of Darkness before him. "You'd best get going."

"Just how long are we gonna have to stay there?" Xhäs asked.

"As long as it takes,"

Xhäs and Larxene exchanged looks before slowly entering the portal before them.

* * *

_The Land of Four Nations_

_Forest's Edge_

Xhäs and Larxene stepped out of the Dark Corridor and into a sparsely forested area. It was fairly sunny out. A nice change of pace from the usual gloomy atmosphere of the World That Never Was.

"Ah, I love the sun," Xhäs sighed happily.

"Well light _is _your element," Larxene remarked, scanning the area.

"So just what are we supposed to be doing?" Xhäs asked, plopping himself down on a nearby rock. Larxene shrugged and sighed.

"That elf needs to be more specific with what he wants us to do," she grumbled.

"Wanna just relax and bullshit the information?" Xhäs asked. Larxene laughed.

"Tempting, but Vexen already got information, remember?" she reminded him. "So they have the gist of what's going on here."

"Then what-"

The sounds of shouting interrupted him, sending both Xhäs and Larxene into a more alert state.

"What was that?" Larxene asked warily.

"Dunno," Xhäs said, glancing west. "But it came from over there!"

With that, he charged towards the sounds of battle, despite Larxene's protests.

"Wait!" she cried. "We don't know what we're getting ourselves into!"

When he didn't respond, she sighed irritably and ran after him. Within minutes they reached a clearing in the trees. The first thing they caught sight of was, of course, Heartless. It was then they saw just who they were attacking.

It was a boy, about sixteen with long black hair that flowed freely with his movements. He wore dark, oriental style robe that consisted of various shades of red, black and gold. His eyes shown a deep gold that gleamed with ferocity and determination. His most notable and prominent feature, however, was a dark red scar that completely extended over his left eye and over his ear.

The boy was currently surrounded by several Shadows and Air Pirates. All of them were being led by a single Assault Rider.

"We've gotta help him!" Xhäs exclaimed.

"We don't even know who he is!" Larxene argued. Xhäs looked at her incredulously.

"Nobody deserves to be attacked by the Heartless!" Xhäs snapped. He turned thoughtful. "Except Saïx..." he quickly turned serious again."But that's beside the point!"

With that said Xhäs leapt forward, summoning his Keyblades and sliced through a wall of Shadows, surprising both the Heartless and the boy.

The boy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Who are you?" he demanded. It was then Xhäs noticed the twin Dao blades in his hands.

"Introductions later," he muttered. "Hope you can use those things."

With that, he began unleashing upon the Heartless. It appeared the boy _did_ know how to use his swords. Quite well in fact. He suddenly caught something in the corner of his eye.

"Watch out!" he cried. The boy turned to see the Assault Rider charging him. With a snarl, he sheathed his swords and took on a stance. Xhäs was about to question him when the boy suddenly lashed his fist out, sending an enormous stream of fire at the offending Heartless.

Unfortunately, the blast of flames did not stop the equine-like Heartless from sending an explosive blast at them. Xhäs deftly jumped out of the way, but the boy was not so lucky. He was sent flying back and into a tree.

The Assault Rider turned on Xhäs and raised its spear. He had been distracted by his concern for the boy. Suddenly a flash of electricity fried the beast, causing it to explode in a cloud of darkness.

With a relieved sigh, Xhäs smiled at an un-amused Larxene. "Thanks..."

Larxene smacked him on the head. "What did we tell you about watching your surroundings?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Xhäs muttered before turning back to the boy, who was struggling to stand. He quickly rushed over and kneeled by him. "Here, I'll help you..." He raised his hand over the burned area on the boy's chest. "Cure." he said as his hand began glowing green.

Larxene walked over as Xhäs helped the boy stand. "Thank you..." the boy muttered.

"Don't mention it," Xhäs said.

"So who are you?" Larxene asked. Suddenly the boy stiffened.

"Who are you?" he asked warily, if not a bit defensively. Larxene frowned and glared.

"I believed I asked you first," she said, fingering her knives. The boy responded by placing his hands on his swords.

"Whoa, let's just calm down," Xhäs exclaimed hastily. "I'm Xhäs and this is my friend Larxene."

"Don't give him our names!" Larxene hissed at him.

The boy stared at him for several moments. Finally he spoke. "Zuko." he said stiffly. He appeared to be waiting for something.

"Zuko, huh?" Xhäs asked. "Well nice to meet you, Zuko."

The boy seemed surprised about something. "It's... nice to meet you as well."

"So what were you doing out here?" Larxene asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," Zuko stated.

"Don't start this again," Xhäs sighed. "To be honest, we have no idea why we're here. So why are you out here?"

Zuko frowned and looked away. "I'm not sure I should say..."

"Why not?" Xhäs asked. "It's not like we're gonna judge you or anything."

Once again, Zuko looked surprised. He stared at them for a while before he spoke. "Fine." he said. "I'll tell you. But let's head back to my camp."

And so the two followed Zuko back to his small campsite which consisted of nothing but a makeshift teepee and a campfire located next to a tree stump. Zuko told them to have a seat as he started a fire.

"Do you know who I am?" Zuko asked, once they were all settled. Xhäs and Larxene frowned in confusion.

"Other than your name, no," she said. Zuko sighed.

"We won't judge," Xhäs reminded him. He was rewarded with a half-hearted smile.

"I am Zuko," he said. "Former prince of the Fire Nation."

...

...

...

"And?" Larxene asked. Zuko looked at her in shock.

"You're not going to start panicking or attack me?" he asked.

"Why would we?" Xhäs asked in confusion. "And what's the Fire Nation."

"You're kidding..." Zuko muttered in shock. "You don't know what the Fire Nation is? Do you know anything about the war?"

"War?" Xhäs and Larxene asked in alarm. "What war?"

Zuko looked at them as though they were absolutely insane. "Only the war that's been going on for over one hundred years!"

'_What the hell?_' Xhäs thought angrily to himself. _'So that blue-haired elf dropped us in the middle of a warzone without telling us _anything_?'_

"We're... not from around here," Larxene said evasively.

"So... you don't know _anything_?" Zuko asked weakly. The two shook their heads.

"Why don't you explain?" Xhäs asked. Zuko let out a long sigh.

"Alright," he muttered. "Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago the four nations lived together in harmony. But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements could stop them, but when the world needed him most, he vanished. The Air Nomads were completely wiped out. All but one. A hundred years have passed and two Water Tribe members discovered the new Avatar, an Airbender named Aang."

"So that's why you're so defensive," Xhäs muttered. "But it doesn't matter. It's not like you did anything..."

"But I _did_!" Zuko said quietly. "When I was thirteen. I was challenged to an Agni Kai. A Firebending duel. I accepted, thinking I would be facing one of my father's generals. But when the time came, I found out it was my _father _I was facing. I refused to fight him and begged his forgiveness. But he laughed and called me weak."

Zuko pointed at his scar. "And burned by face." Xhäs and Larxene let out a gasp.

"That's horrible," Larxene whispered.

"After that he banished me from the Fire Nation." he continued. "He told me that the only way to restore my honor and earn my place was by capturing the Avatar. I did everything in my power to capture him, but every time he evaded me. During my traveling, my father labeled by uncle and me as traitors, and sent my sister out to hunt us down."

"You have a pretty messed up family," Xhäs remarked. "Er, no offense."

"None taken," Zuko shrugged. "But my sister didn't always use to be like that..." he muttered, his eyes distant.

"Zuko?"

"Hm?" he asked, shaking out of his daze. "Oh, sorry. So we hid out in Ba Sing Se. My sister infiltrated the city by disguising herself and her friends as Kyoshi Warriors. They entered the Earth King's trust and secretly took control of the Dai Li, the secret police of Ba Sing Se. My uncle and I were unfortunate enough to be captured by them and I was thrown into a prison along with one of the Avatar's allies, a Waterbender. I believe her name is Katara. At first we were nothing but hostile to each other, but then she mentioned how the Fire Nation took her mother away. I realized that I was in the same situation as her, as my mother was also taken away from me. We... bonded, for lack of a better word, over our common pasts..."

"And then?" Xhäs urged, seeing how Zuko trailed off slightly.

"She offered to heal my scar," he whispered. "Since it was a scar, it normally can't be healed... But she had water from the Spirit Oasis. Apparently it had special properties that might have healed it and she was willing to use her only one... on me..."

"Why didn't she?" Larxene questioned.

"We were interrupted," Zuko said. "The Avatar and my uncle chose that exact moment to come charging in to the rescue... The Avatar and the Waterbender left, leaving me and Uncle alone. He tried to convince me to choose the right side... the side of the Avatar."

"I'm guessing that didn't turn out so hot?" Xhäs asked. "What happened?"

Zuko shook his head. "Azula happened." he said bitterly. "She came barging in, encasing Uncle in a cage of crystal using her Dai Li agents. She started on about how I could still redeem myself and earn Father's love and respect. But I forgot one very important thing. Azula always lies. I stood there as she went to capture the Avatar; thinking about my choice. Uncle tried to convince me not to choose Azula, but..."

"The promise of your father's love was too tempting," Xhäs guessed. Zuko nodded faintly.

"When I entered the scene, Azula and the Avatar were locked in combat," he recalled. "I shot out a warning flame to stop them. This was the most difficult decision I've probably ever had to make. Both of them just stared at me pleading me to help them. Finally, I attacked... I sent a blast of fire at the Avatar. Things are blurred in my memory from here, but Azula managed to nearly kill the Avatar with a stream of lightning. They managed to escape, however, after my Uncle intervened. I... I'll never forget the look of disappointment in his eyes... He was captured by the Dai Li and sent to prison. Azula and I, along with Azula's friends returned to the Fire Nation. I was hailed as a hero and Father welcomed me home... but..."

"You were guilty of your choice," Larxene stated. Zuko nodded once again.

"The Day of the Black Sun arrived," he began again. "That's the day Firebenders lose their power. The Avatar and rebel forces attacked the Fire Nation capital, but the attack wasn't successful. This was the day I made my final decision. I confronted my father and informed him of my choice to join the Avatar."

"Bet he didn't take that too well," Xhäs said. Zuko nodded.

"He bended lightning at me," he muttered. "But I was able to redirect it at him. I took my chance and fled the capital by stealing an airship. My Uncle had already escaped, but I don't know where he is. I followed the Avatar here, to the Western Air Temple. This is the reason for my being here. Now the only problem is convincing them that I've really changed."

"They're probably not going to take too kindly to you," Xhäs muttered. "After you... you know."

Zuko nodded and sighed in aggravation. "What am I going to do?"

Xhäs suddenly stood up. "We'll help you!"

The former prince looked at him in shock. "You will?"

Larxene was also shocked. "We will?"

Xhäs nodded with a grin. "You bet!" he exclaimed. He placed a finger to his chin in thought. "Why don't you practice what you're going to say on us?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't have any better ideas," he cleared his throat. "Hello! Zuko here! But I guess you already know me... sort of... So, the thing is: I have a lot of Firebending experience and I'm considered to be pretty good at it. Well, you've seen me... you know when I was attacking you? Uh, yeah, I guess I should apologize for that... But anyway, I'm good now! ...I mean, I thought I was good before but now I realize I was bad... but... uh... But I think it's time I joined your group and taught the Avatar Firebending. How was that?"

Xhäs and Larxene looked at him as passively as they could. "It was... uh... okay...?" Xhäs said uncertainly.

"Well how am I supposed to convince these people that I'm on their side?" Zuko yelled in frustration. "What would Uncle do?" Suddenly Zuko went into imitation mode. "_Zuko, you have to look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself."_

Xhäs and Larxene sweat dropped as Zuko let out another sigh. "Ugh, even when I'm _talking _for him I still can't figure out what he means!"

"Probably because that made no sense?" Larxene asked.

Zuko glared at her. "Ugh, you remind me of Azula," he muttered. "Hmm, what would she do?" Once again, Zuko began his imitations. "_Listen, Avatar! I can join your group or I can do something unspeakably horrible to you and your friends! Your choice." _he sat down of a nearby rock with a sigh. "Guess I'm not that good at impersonations."

"Hey, we'll figure something out," Xhäs reassured him. Zuko let out an impatient sigh.

"This can't wait!" he exclaimed, shooting up. "I'm going to talk to them now!"

"Hey, wait!" Larxene exclaimed, startled. "You can't just walk up to them!"

"Watch me!" Zuko growled, stomping off.

"Jeez, this guy's even more impulsive than Axel," the blonde muttered under his breath. Xhäs hurried after him, worried.

"Come on, this won't end well," he exclaimed.

* * *

_Western Air Temple_

The two approached the cliff to see Zuko already lowering a rope down to the temple.

"I don't think this is a good idea," Larxene muttered.

"I have to try," the prince replied.

"And we'll be there to back you up," Xhäs said firmly. Larxene pulled him aside.

"Are you sure we should be helping him?" she whispered. "We have no obligation to this world whatsoever."

"I'm not doing it for this world," Xhäs replied. "I'm doing it for Zuko."

"What?" Larxene asked in confusion. "Why?"

"Because he's our friend," he answered. "He's been through hell. It's our obligation to help him."

"But we just met!" she exclaimed.

"A friend is a friend," Xhäs said firmly as he followed Zuko down the rope. Larxene sighed and followed him as well.

* * *

A boy, about the same age as Xhäs, glided down onto one of the temple floors using a gliding device.

"Aang!" another boy shouted as he and two girls flew down on the back of a flying bison. "I think we need to start planning our future!"

"Okay," Aang called back. "We can do it while I show you guys the giant Pai Sho table!" The three teenagers dismounted the giant flying bison. "You guys are gonna love the all day echo chamber!"

Suddenly the girl in green stiffened. "I think that'll have to wait..."

The four teenagers spun around to see one of their worst enemies standing before them. Prince Zuko, along with two unknown people.

"Hello, Zuko here!" the prince said with an awkward wave.

Xhäs and Larxene face palmed. The four teenagers instantly entered a defensive stance. "Hey, I heard you guys flying around down here. So I thought we'd just wait for you here."

Suddenly the bison stepped up to them and let out a loud roar followed by an affectionate lick.

"What the hell?" Larxene exclaimed, angrily wiping the saliva off her. Aang watched this in shock. Appa only did that to trustworthy people.

"I know you must be surprised to see me here," Zuko continued as he wiped the saliva off as well.

"Not really," Sokka said. "Since you followed us all over the world."

Zuko, Larxene and Xhäs winced. "R-Right," Zuko muttered. "Well, what I've wanted to tell you about is that I've changed. And I'm, uh, I'm good now."

"Zuko..." Xhäs sighed. Zuko ignored him.

"And, well, I think I should join your group," he continued. "Oh! And I can teach Firebending! ...To you... See, I uh..."

"You wanna what now?" the girl in green, Toph, asked incredulously.

"You can honestly think that any of us would trust you, can you?" the tan girl, Katara, asked. "I mean how stupid do you think we are?"

"Yeah," Sokka agreed. "All you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!"

"I've done some good things!" Zuko said defensively. "I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se but I set him free! That's something!" he exclaimed as Appa licked him once again.

"Appa _does _seem to like him," Toph admitted.

"He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him," Sokka reasoned. "Same goes for those other two."

"Wait, who are you two anyway?" Aang questioned.

Xhäs rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Er, well, I'm Xhäs and this is Larxene." he introduced. "We're friends of Zuko and we're here to help him convince you that he's not that bad a guy."

"I can understand why you wouldn't trust me," Zuko said. "And I know I've made some mistakes in the past."

"Like when you attacked our village!" Sokka offered.

"Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?" Katara added angrily.

"Look," Zuko muttered. "I admit I've done some awful things. I was wrong to try and capture you and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you-"

"Wait, _you _sent Combustion Man after us?" Sokka demanded, drawing a boomerang.

"You what?" Larxene exclaimed.

"Well, that's not his name, but..." Zuko muttered.

"Oh, sorry," Sokka said sarcastically. "I didn't mean to insult your _friend_."

"He's not my friend!" Zuko exclaimed.

"That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!" Toph yelled. Zuko closed his eyes in shame. He looked at Aang.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" he asked quietly. "You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."

Aang looked at his friends. Sokka was shaking his head while Katara kept her eyes locked on Zuko. He turned back to Zuko.

"There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done," he declared. "We'll never let you join us."

Zuko's eyes widened. "You need to get out of here," Katara demanded. "Now!"

The prince clenched his jaw in distress. "I'm trying to explain I'm not that person anymore!" he exclaimed, stepping towards them.

"Zuko," Xhäs warned, grabbing his shoulder.

"Either you leave or we attack!" Sokka yelled, raising his boomerang. It was clear Zuko was getting desperate.

"If you won't accept me as a friend," he muttered, getting on his knees. "Then maybe you'll take me as a prisoner?"

Katara finally had enough. "No, we won't!" she spat. With a wave of her arm she sent a blast of water at Zuko, throwing him several feet back.

"Zuko!" Xhäs exclaimed, rushing to the prince's side.

"Get out of here, right now," Katara said in a dangerous voice. "And if we ever see you again... Well, we better not see you again!"

Xhäs was about to say something when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Larxene shake her head. With a sigh, they helped the defeated prince to his feet and walked away from the group. Katara and Sokka looked pleased, however, Aang was looking uncertain.

Unknown to any of them, Toph had slipped away and had every intention of following them.

* * *

_Forest's Edge_

"Ugh, I can't believe how stupid I am!" Zuko shouted as he paced around. "What was I thinking? Telling them I sent an _assassin _after them? Why didn't I just say Azula did it? They would've believed that! Stupid!"

"Well, what now?" Larxene asked.

"I- I don't know," Zuko muttered, glancing at the sky. The sun had already set and the moon was beginning its path through the sky.

"Well why don't we just set up camp?" Xhäs asked. "Well sleep and think on it tomorrow."

It was agreed upon. Luckily Zuko had extra blankets on him and distributed them to his new allies. As they settled down for the night, Zuko had something to say.

"Thank you for your help today," he muttered.

"But we didn't achieve anything," Xhäs said.

"But you stuck by me," Zuko explained. "Even after you knew who I was and what I did, you remained on my side. Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," Xhäs said with a yawn. "'Night."

"Goodnight."

_Time Skip_

Xhäs's eyes shot open. There was movement out in the brush. Larxene and Zuko apparently heard it as well.

"Who's there?" Zuko demanded. There was no answer. "Stay back!" he shouted, sending a blast of fire into the bushes.

"Wait, it's me!" a familiar voice exclaimed. Toph quickly created a wall made out of earth, but her feet were singed by the flames. "Ow!"

Zuko quickly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes to stare in horror at what he had just done.

"You burned my feet!" Toph accused angrily.

"I'm sorry!" Zuko shouted.

"It was an accident!" Xhäs agreed.

Zuko rushed forward to help her. This was the wrong thing to do, as Toph began crawling away from him in panic. "Get away from me!" she shouted, bending earth at him. Zuko deftly dodged the heavy stones.

"Let us help you!" Xhäs exclaimed.

"I'm sorry!" Zuko shouted.

Suddenly, everyone froze when they felt a creeping chill surrounding them.

"They're here," Larxene hissed.

"W-What?" Toph asked.

"Those things from before..." Zuko muttered. Xhäs nodded.

"They're called the Heartless," he explained. "Manifestation of the darkness in people's hearts and of darkness itself."

Suddenly a Shadow leapt from the darkness, right at Toph. The girl screamed as she was struck on the arm.

"What's going on?" she yelled, clearly panicking. "I can't feel anything!"

"Wait, 'feel'?" Xhäs asked confused.

"Xhäs," Larxene said in realization. "She's blind!"

"Huh?"

Zuko nodded. "She can't see, but she can sense vibrations in the ground."

"Heartless move through the shadows..." Xhäs muttered. Larxene nodded.

"So she can't 'see' them," she finished.

"Then we've gotta help her!" Xhäs exclaimed. The three of them rushed forward as more Heartless began appearing. Zuko and Larxene attacked the Heartless directly. Xhäs, on the other hand, quickly picked the girl up and rushed back towards camp.

He gently placed her on the ground, next to the campfire. "Stay here," he told her. "You'll be safe." Toph turned her cloudy, unseeing eyes towards him, a thoughtful look on her face.

Xhäs spun around and leapt back into the fray.

Several minutes later, the Heartless had disappeared and the trio returned to see Toph still waiting. "Are you okay?" Zuko asked.

"I'm fine," she responded. "My feet are still burnt, but otherwise fine."

"I'm sorry," Zuko muttered.

"Here," Xhäs said. "We'll heal you. Larxene, give me a hand."

Xhäs focused on the girl's feet, while Larxene healed the injuries inflicted by the Heartless.

"Thanks," Toph said. They knew she was thanking them for more than just healing her. Xhäs smiled.

"Don't mention it," he said, casting Cura.

"What is that?" Toph asked, flexing her newly healed toes. "Doesn't feel like Water bending."

"You used the same thing to heal me," Zuko noted.

"I suppose you can think of it as a form of Bending," Larxene said, avoiding the word 'magic'. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah," Toph said, standing. "I totally could have owned those things if I could see them."

"Really?" Xhäs asked, slightly amused.

"Of course!" she replied arrogantly. "I'm Toph, the greatest Earth bender in the world!" The three of them chuckled. "What? It's true!"

"If you say so," Zuko said. "Sorry once again, are you angry?"

Toph shook her head. "Nah, I could tell you really were sorry." The three looked at her in confusion. As though sensing this, she explained. "I can sense your heartbeat as well. When you lie, it increases slightly." she frowned. "Except you two," she noted. "I can't sense anything from you."

Xhäs and Larxene looked at each other awkwardly. Thankfully, Zuko saved them, though unknowingly. "I'm glad." he said.

Toph glanced over at the shadows, even though she couldn't see them. "Er, but I think maybe I should stay here for a while..." she muttered."An Earthbender needs her rest, after all. And I can't fight those things if I'm exhausted!"

Zuko looked at her incredulously. "Wait, you're willing to trust me after all that?"

"Well you could have easily attacked me while I was panicking," she reasoned. "But you chose to help me instead. So I guess you're not all bad."

Zuko smiled. "Thank you..."

Xhäs thought about something. "Say, Toph?" he asked. "Why did you come out here anyway?"

"Well, I thought about what you guys said back at the Air Temple," she said, settling herself down on an extra blanket. "I could tell you were being sincere, and to be honest, Twinkletoes _does _need a Firebending teacher."

"Twinkletoes?" Larxene questioned.

"Aang," Toph said offhandedly. "So I figured that if I came and talked to you, maybe we could work something out."

"I-" Zuko began. "I would be honored to be the Avatar's Firebending teacher... If the others will have me, of course."

Toph let out a yawn. "I'll talk to them tomorrow and see if I can't convince them," as she lay down on the blanket, she Earthbended a small teepee for herself. "Night."

Zuko let out a relieved sigh. "Good night," he replied.

Xhäs patted the prince on the shoulder. "Looks like things are turning around for you,"

"It looks like they are," he nodded with a smile.

"It's getting late," Larxene noted. "Let's get back to sleep."

The two boys nodded and the three of them returned to their respective blankets. Xhäs closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

_The next morning_

The trio escorted Toph down to the cliff that hid the Air Temple. "Well I'll see what I can do," Toph said as she effortlessly created a tunnel to the temple by stomping her foot. She gave them a mock salute. "Later."

"Hopefully," Zuko muttered as she disappeared through the tunnel.

Something caught Xhäs's eye. "Who's that?" he asked.

Zuko glanced at where Xhäs gestured only for his eyes to widen. "No way!" he yelled. "Not him!"

"What?" Larxene demanded, glancing down.

Sliding his way down towards the temple was a large, heavily built man. He appeared to have a tattoo on his forehead.

"It's the assassin I hired before!" Zuko exclaimed.

"Combustion Man?" Xhäs inquired. Instead of answering Zuko grabbed the same rope he used yesterday and swung down towards the assassin. Xhäs and Larxene glanced at each other before following him.

* * *

_Western Air Temple_

Katara sighed as she finished handing out bowls of stew for her friends.

Aang and Sokka, along with three other boys, Haru, Teo and The Duke, all sat around eating.

"Has anyone seen Toph?" the Waterbender asked.

Sokka yawned. "I haven't seen her since Zuko showed up yesterday."

Katara immediately became worried and suspicious. "You don't think he did something to her, do you?"

Haru placed his finished bowl down. "Toph can handle herself, Katara," he reasoned. "She's probably just exploring the Air Temple. There are lots of fun places to practice Earthbending."

"I think we should go look for her," Katara urged, worried for her friend's well-being.

"Ah, let her play with her rocks," Sokka said, helping himself to more stew.

"We can go check for her!" Duke, a very young boy offered enthusiastically.

"Yeah!" agreed Teo, a boy confined to a wheelchair. "I wanna ride that tunnel down to the Hall of Statues again. It'll work a lot better now that I fixed my brakes."

Teo began wheeling himself towards the inner temple with surprising speed. He was quickly followed by Haru and the Duke.

Suddenly one of the temple walls caved, revealing a tunnel. Toph easily slid down.

"Toph!" Katara exclaimed as she, Sokka and Aang rushed over to her. "Where have you been? Are you okay?"

"Relax, Sugarqueen, I'm fine," Toph said, annoyed. "I was just talking to Zuko-"

"What?" Aang exclaimed. "And what happened?"

"Well, I was going to talk to him about teaching Aang Firebending," she said. "But he burned my feet-"

"He what?" Katara demanded angrily.

"I _just_ said, he burned my feet-"

"So he attacked you?" Sokka demanded.

"Well it was an accident-"

"But he _did _Firebend at you, right?" Aang questioned.

"Well, yeah-"

"See?" Sokka shouted. "You trusted Zuko and you got burned! Literally! Zuko's clearly too dangerous to be left alone. We're gonna have to go after him."

"Wait-" Toph began.

"I hate to go picking a fight, but you're right," Aang agreed. "After what he did to Toph, I don't think we have a choice."

"I think I should be the one to decide here," Toph tried again.

"He's crafty, but we'll get him-"

"WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?" Toph screamed. They all stared at her as she stood there panting. Katara noticed something.

"Toph, I thought you said your feet got burned?" she questioned. "But you're standing perfectly fine."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Toph said in irritation. "Like I said, I kinda snuck up on them, so he was just defending himself. Zuko's friends healed me and they said they were sorry. They weren't lying... Well, Zuko wasn't. I couldn't tell with the other two."

"Then how can we trust _them_?" Sokka tried. Toph let out an irritated sigh.

Little known to them, Combustion Man stood staring at them from above. He narrowed his eyes as the tattoo on his forehead began glowing.

Out of nowhere, Zuko swung down on a rope, landing a kick right in his jaw.

A blast of energy shot out from the man's tattoo, but the kick caused it to miss its mark.

Team Avatar glanced up in alarm.

"Stop!" Zuko shouted as Xhäs and Larxene leapt down beside him. "I don't want you hunting the Avatar anymore! The mission is off! I'm ordering you to stop!"

Combustion Man simply pushed him out of the way and fired another beam at the teenagers below. Aang and the others took cover behind a large statue as the bolt of energy destroyed a large portion of it.

"If you don't stop, I won't pay you!" Zuko shouted, lunging at him. The large man simply grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air. "Okay, I'll pay you double to stop!"

The man didn't listen and fired another bolt at them.

"This isn't going to work!" Xhäs growled. With great speed he lunged forward, sending a powerful punch to the man's gut and causing him to drop Zuko.

Xhäs grabbed the prince and leapt back. They turned around to see Combustion Man glaring at them. With a growl he fired a powerful bolt at them.

Acting fast, Zuko created a shield of fire to protect them. The blast didn't harm them, but it was powerful enough to send them flying off the edge of the cliffside.

Reacting instantly, Larxene grabbed the two of them and used Aero to propel them towards the cliff. She grabbed hold of a large vine that was growing among the rocks.

Down below, Aang formed a large cyclone and shot it out at Combustion Man. The assassin leapt off the cliff and landed on a ledge below. He fired another bolt from the tattoo on his head.

Katara surged forward, drawing upon the water from a large fountain and creating a shower of icicle spears that rained down on the man. The assassin covered himself as the icicles rained down on him.

When he opened his eyes once more, he saw that his targets had taken the opportunity to hide themselves. With a snarl, he fired yet another bolt at a random spot in an attempt to flush them out.

Team Avatar covered themselves as the bolt hit one of the support beams. "He's going to blast this place right off the cliffside!" she shouted.

"I can't step out to Waterbend at him without getting blown up!" Katara growled. "And I can't get a good enough angle on him from down here!"

Sokka suddenly had an idea. "I know how to get an angle on him!" he exclaimed. He watched as the assassin fired another bolt. He quickly traced the bolt's direction and began making geometric calculations. "Alright, buddy," Sokka said to his boomerang. "Don't fail me now!" With a grunt, Sokka sent it flying and waited.

From above, Combustion Man prepared to fire again when he heard a whistling sound. He turned just in time to the boomerang to make contact with his face, sending him flying backwards.

From down below, Sokka let out a happy cheer as he watched the man fall. "Yeah, boomerang!" he cheered, catching his weapon once more. His grin turned to a concerned frown when he saw the assassin pick himself back up. "Awww, boomerang..." he muttered in disappointment as they retreated once more to their hiding place.

Combustion Man's eyes were hazy as he attempted to locate them. He could feel his chi being blocked... Ignoring this, he began charging for another blast...

**BOOM**

His blocked chi caused his Firebending to turn on him, causing a point-blank explosion and causing the ledge he was on to collapse. Team Avatar watched this in shock. Movement caught their eyes and they looked up to see Zuko, Xhäs and Larxene pulling themselves back up to safety.

_Ten minutes later_

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Aang muttered as Zuko, Xhäs and Larxene stood before them. "But... Thanks, Zuko."

"It's okay, we _totally _didn't do anything," Xhäs said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, and what about me?" Sokka asked. "I did the boomerang thing."

"Listen," Zuko said. "I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. I've been through a lot in the past few years and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor and that somehow, my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor."

"It's something you earn yourself," Larxene said. Xhäs nodded.

"By doing what's right, not just what's easy," he added. "And by forging your own destiny." Zuko nodded this time.

"All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war," Zuko explained. "And I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world." He turned to Toph. "I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident."

"You already said that," she replied with a sigh. "Like five times."

Zuko nodded. "Fire can be dangerous in the wild," he explained. "So as a Firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending so I don't hurt people unintentionally."

Aang's eyes widened. It seems this struck a chord with him. He looked down for several moments. "I think you _are _supposed to be my Firebending teacher," he said finally. Sokka and Katara looked at him in shock while Toph looked pleased. "When I first tried to learn Firebending I burned Katara and after that, I never wanted to Firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt people you love." He bowed to Zuko. "I'd like you to teach me."

Zuko smiled and bowed in return. "Thank you," he said. "I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."

"Not so fast," Aang said suddenly. "I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them." he turned to each of his friends. "Toph. Zuko burned you. What do you think?"

Toph shrugged. "Hey, I wanted him to help from the beginning." she grinned. "Plus this'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet."

Aang smiled. "Sokka?"

Sokka sighed. "Hey, all I want is to defeat the Firelord," he said. "If you think this is the way to do it than I'm all for it."

Aang nodded and turned to the last member of Team Avatar. "Katara?"

The Waterbender stared at Zuko long and hard. Zuko began sweating. '_She hates me...'_ he thought to himself.

Finally Katara looked back at Aang. "I'll go along with whatever you think is right," she muttered.

Aang turned back to them with a smile. "That settles it." he said. "You and your friends can stay."

Zuko smiled. "I won't let you down!" he exclaimed. "I promise!"

Aang nodded and he and his friends returned to the inner temple, leaving Zuko alone with his friends.

"You did it, Zuko!" Xhäs cheered. "Your uncle would be proud."

Zuko smiled. "You think so?"

"I know so," Xhäs replied, patting him on the back.

"We'd better follow them," Larxene urged, trying not to smile. The three of them entered the inner temple to see Sokka waiting.

"I'm gonna show you to your rooms," he said passively. They followed him down the hall and stopped in front of a door. "You're sharing with Toph." Sokka told Larxene. The blonde nodded and entered her room.

"Hey, Sparkle!" Toph greeted as Larxene closed the door.

The two boys followed Sokka down the hall until they reached the last room. "Well, here you are. Home sweet home, you know, for now."

Zuko and Xhäs entered to find a spacious room with two beds. "Not bad," Xhäs remarked. "Bigger than my room."

"Unpack," Sokka urged. "Lunch is soon. Uh... welcome aboard?"

"Thanks!" Xhäs exclaimed. Zuko just looked back and nodded. Sokka quickly left the room. He found Aang waiting for him.

"Okay," Sokka said. "This is really, _really _weird..."

Aang just smiled and the two of them left to find Katara.

Back in the room, Zuko and Xhäs were unpacking. Well, Zuko was doing most of it, considering Xhäs didn't really have anything. Zuko took out a portrait of an old man and smiled at it sadly.

"Your uncle?" Xhäs questioned.

"Yeah," Zuko nodded.

"I'm sure he's fine," Xhäs assured him.

"I hope so..." Zuko muttered. The two of them suddenly felt someone else in the room. They turned to see Katara leaning against the doorframe.

"You might have everyone else here fooled by your _'transformation'_," she began hotly. "But you and I _both _know you've struggled with doing the right thing in the past." she growled walking up to a frozen Zuko. "So let me tell you something _right now_. You make _one _step backward, _one _slip up, give me _one _reason to think you might hurt Aang and you won't have to worry about your _destiny _any more. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends right then and there. _Permanently_."

With that she whipped around and strode out of the room.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if it's a weird place to end it. Avatar: The Last Airbender belongs to Nickelodeon.**

**I named the world of Avatar: The Land of Four Nations. You think I should change it?**


	12. Masters of the Sun

"I know you're nervous," Zuko said to a fidgeting Aang. "But remember, Firebending in itself is _not _something to fear."

Xhäs watched as Zuko began Aang's Firebending lesson. It was the morning after Katara threatened Zuko. Xhäs refrained from saying anything, knowing she had every right to be suspicious of the prince, though perhaps not quite to _that _extent... Plus Zuko threatened to kick his ass if he said anything to the Waterbender.

Aang let out a deep breath. "Okay," he said quietly. "Not something to fear."

"But if you don't respect it..." Zuko said, just as quietly. "IT'LL CHEW YOU UP AND EAT YOU LIKE AN ANGRY KOMODO RHINO!"

Both and Xhäs let out a startled yelp as the prince yelled out the warning. "Now show me what you've got," Zuko continued. "Any amount of fire you can make."

Aang took a deep breath and thrust his hand out. A puff of smoke was all that was created. All of them sweat dropped.

"Maybe I need a little more instruction," Aang said sheepishly. "Perhaps a demonstration?"

"Good idea," Zuko agreed. "You might wanna take a couple steps back."

Aang did as he was told and stood by Xhäs, who was well out of range. With a shout, Zuko lashed his fist out... Only for a tiny spurt of fire to emerge from his fist. Aang clapped, thinking it was intended.

"What was that?" Zuko asked himself. "That was the worst Firebending I've ever seen!"

"I thought it was... nice," Aang said. Zuko quickly tried again with the same results.

"What's wrong, Zuko?" Xhäs asked. "You were Firebending just fine yesterday."

"I don't know!" Zuko shouted in frustration.

"Maybe it's the altitude?" Aang suggested.

"Yeah... could be..." Zuko muttered, though it was clear none of them believed that.

_An hour later_

Aang yawned as they watched Zuko attempt to Firebend correctly.

"Just breathe and..." Zuko lashed his fist out, with the same results as before.

"That one felt kinda hot," Aang said encouragingly.

"Don't patronize me!" Zuko shouted. "Both of you know what it's supposed to look like!"

"Sorry, Shifu Hotman," Aang said defensively. Xhäs snickered at the nickname.

"Stop calling me that!" the prince yelled.

"Calm down, Zuko," Xhäs said as Sokka walked onto the scene, eating an apple.

"Hey, 'jerks'," he greeted as he sat down. "Mind if I watch you 'jerk' do your 'Jerkbending'?"

"Get out of here!" Zuko shouted in frustration.

"Don't mind him," Xhäs said. "He's just frustrated."

"It's fine," the Water Tribe boy said. "I was just kidding anyway." he snickered as he walked away. "'Jerkbending'... still got it..."

Zuko let out a frustrated sigh as he began trying again.

_That night_

Xhäs and Larxene sat with the GAang around the fire. It appeared Katara was the regular cook, as she was cooking some sort of stew. Xhäs was sitting with Aang while Haru, Teo and The Duke sat around doing their own thing. Sokka was... well... being Sokka.

"Your hair is weird!" he exclaimed, poking Larxene's antennae like hair, much to the blonde's irritation. "How do you get it to stay like that? Do you use some kind of gel? Or does it naturally make you look like a bug?"

"One... two..." Xhäs muttered.

"UNLESS YOU WANT YOUR ASS HANDED TO YOU ON TWENTY DIFFERENT PLATES, YOU BETTER GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" the Savage Nymph shrieked as she brandished her knives.

Sokka fell flat on his ass and began scampering away to hide behind Katara. Everyone burst out laughing. Toph was probably the loudest.

"I like her!" she exclaimed. "My kinda person!"

"We don't call her the Savage Nymph for nothing," Xhäs chuckled as the laughter died down. Sokka was making sure to keep his distance from Larxene, who was still glaring at him warningly.

They continued in their individual conversations until they were interrupted by someone.

"Everyone!" Zuko said, gathering their attention. Katara's face turned cold as she turned back and began stirring more viciously. "I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff."

"Don't look at me," Toph said immediately. "I didn't touch your stuff!"

"I'm talking about my Firebending," the prince muttered. "It's gone."

A sudden and very creepy laugh caused all of them to spin around.

"I'm sorry," Katara said. "I'm just laughing at the irony. You know how it would have been nice for us if you had lost your Firebending a long time ago?"

Xhäs and Aang frowned at her behavior.

"Well it's not lost," Zuko said testily. "It's just... weaker for some reason."

"Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are," she replied coldly.

"Katara..." Aang said.

"Ouch," Larxene snickered. She bumped fists with Toph. The two seemed to be growing closer.

Zuko glared. "I bet it's because I changed sides," he reasoned.

"That's ridiculous," Katara scoffed.

"I dunno," Aang said. "Maybe it isn't. Maybe your Firebending comes from rage and you just don't have enough anger to fuel it the way you used to."

"So..." Sokka cut in, standing up. "All we need to do is make Zuko angry! Easy enough!" He quickly picked up Aang's staff and began poking Zuko repeatedly, snickering the whole way.

"OKAY, CUT IT OUT!" Zuko shouted, causing Sokka to quickly withdraw the staff and smack himself in surprise. "Look, even if you're right, I don't wanna rely on hate and anger any more. There has to be another way!"

"You're gonna need to learn to draw your Firebending from a different source," Toph said. "I recommend the original source."

"How's he supposed to do that?" Sokka asked, rubbing the spot where he hit himself. "By jumping into a volcano?" he asked, trying to be funny.

"No," Toph said, causing his face to fall. "Zuko needs to go back to where the original source of Firebending is."

"So... is it jumping into a volcano?" Sokka asked more seriously.

"I dunno," she shrugged, placing her bowl down with a smile. "But in Earthbending, the original Earthbenders where the Badgermoles. One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave. That's where I met them. They were blind, just like me so we understood each other. I was able to learn Earthbending not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original Earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was there way with interacting with the world."

"That's amazing, Toph," Aang said. "I learned from the monks that the original Airbenders were the Sky Bison." He turned to Appa, who was eating hay some distance away. "Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime buddy!"

"Well this doesn't help me," Zuko muttered. "The original Firebenders were the dragons and they're extinct."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked in confusion. "Roku had a dragon and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid."

"Well they aren't around anymore, okay?" Zuko growled.

"Okay, okay," Aang said, raising his hands in surrender. "Sorry."

Zuko suddenly had an idea. "But maybe there's another way..." he muttered."The first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors."

"Sun Warriors?" Xhäs asked.

"Well I know they weren't around when I was a kid." Aang said.

"No," Zuko shook his head. "They died off thousands of years ago but their civilization isn't too far off from where we are now. Maybe we can learn something by poking around the ruins."

"Just like the monks used to tell me," Aang said quietly. "Sometimes the shadows of the past can be felt by the present."

"So what?" Sokka asked. "Maybe you'll pick up some old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?"

"More or less," Zuko admitted. "Either I find a new way to Firebend or the Avatar has to find a new teacher." It was clear neither he nor Aang liked the alternative.

"Then we'll head out in the morning," Xhäs declared. Zuko and Aang nodded as the three returned to the campfire.

* * *

_The next morning_

_Somewhere over the ocean_

Aang, Zuko and Xhäs sat atop Appa, who was soaring over the ocean as they searched for the ancient civilization of the Sun Warriors. Larxene had decided to stay behind after Xhäs insisted he could handle himself.

"We've been riding for hours," Zuko noted. "I don't know why but I thought this thing would be a lot faster."

Appa roared, as though taking offense to this. "Appa's right, Zuko," Aang said. "In our group, typically we start our missions with a more upbeat attitude. Don't worry; you'll get the hang of it!"

"Look!" Xhäs exclaimed. "Over there!"

Zuko and Aang glanced into the distance to see a land mass ahead of them. There appeared to be a large set of ruins along the mountainside.

"See, Zuko?" Aang asked as they approached the island.

As they approached, they saw that the ruins were _much _larger than they expected them to be.

"This place is _huge_!" Xhäs exclaimed. The trio dismounted Appa and began their search.

"Even though these building are ancient," Zuko said. "There's something eerily familiar about them. I can tell the Fire Sages' temples are somehow descended from these."

"Okay, so we learned something about architecture," Aang optimistically. "Hopefully we'll learn something about Firebending too. The past can be a great teach-"

He was interrupted as he tripped over a hidden wire. The floor before them collapsed, revealing a pit of spikes. Aang quickly used Airbending and launched himself to the other side of the pit.

"Guys, I think the past is trying to kill me!" he exclaimed.

"A little suspicious that a booby trap from centuries ago still works," Xhäs muttered as Zuko examined the wire.

"Agreed," Zuko nodded.

"There's probably a lot more!" Aang said from across the pit. "Maybe this means we shouldn't be here."

Zuko stepped several paces back before dashing forward. He leapt and ran along the wall before landing on the other side.

"Where' that upbeat attitude you were talking about?" he asked as Xhäs landed next to him. "Besides," he continued, glancing up at a large temple/castle-like building in the distance. "People don't make booby traps unless they've got something worth protecting."

The trio continued on towards the temple. Xhäs let out a groan at the _huge_ set of stairs, but otherwise nothing else happened.

"This looks promising," Aang said as they found a large engraving of two dragons breathing fire on a human. "Though I'm not sure what this tells us of the original source of Firebending."

"They look pretty angry to me," Xhäs agreed.

"I thought the dragons were friends with the Sun Warriors." Aang said.

"Well they had a funny way of showing it," Zuko muttered as he walked away.

"Zuko," Aang asked. "Something happened to the dragons in the last hundred years. Something you're not telling me."

"My great-grandfather Sozin happened," he replied. "He started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. They were the ultimate Firebenders and if you could conquer one, your Firebending talents would become legendary and you earned the honorary tile 'Dragon'. The last great dragon was conquered long before I was born. By my uncle..."

"But I thought your uncle was... I dunno, well?" Aang said.

"He had a complicated past," Zuko muttered. "Family tradition, I guess. Let's just move on."

The trio continued their search of the ruins until they came across a large sealed door. A red gem was embedded above the door. Aang jogged forward and attempted to open the door, but to no avail.

"It's locked up!" he exclaimed.

"You couldn't figure that out by looking at it?" Xhäs asked. Aang scowled as Zuko chuckled. Xhäs frowned as he felt a heat on the back of his head. Turning around, he saw that there was a pillar with a red gem in it, similar to the one embedded above the door. The sun was being magnified through the gem and creating a beam of light. "Wait a second..." he moved over slightly, revealing the beam of light was shining upon a carved numeral."It's a sundial or something."

"It's a sunstone calendar," Zuko answered. "Just like the Fire Sages have in their temples. I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when the sunlight hits it at _just _the right angle. On the Solstice."

"Monkey feathers," Aang cursed. "The Solstice again? We can't wait here that long!"

"Agreed..." Zuko muttered. Xhäs got an idea.

"But maybe we can speed things up?" he asked as he summoned Oathkeeper. He bent down and used the blade to reflect the beam of light onto the sunstone. "Come on..." The ground began rumbling as the sunstone glowed. Aang jumped away as the great doors began opening before them.

"Nice!" Aang cheered.

"Come on," Zuko urged. Aang stepped in first and glanced around.

"Aahh!" he cried out as the first thing he saw was a face glaring down at him.

"Calm down," Zuko said. "It's just a statue."

Xhäs looked around the room. A set of statues throughout around the room. There were three of each statue, each showing a different movement. Two sets circled around the room while a third went straight through the center. All three ended in the exact same position and pointed towards the same area.

"It says this is something called the 'Dancing Dragon'," Xhäs noted, reading an engraving.

Aang cocked his head at the statue and imitated its position. He yelped as he felt the ground shift under him. Glancing down, he saw he was now standing on a switch. He looked around at the statues to see they indeed seemed to be performing some kind of dance.

"Zuko, Xhäs!" he exclaimed. "Get over here; I want you to dance with me!"

"What?" Zuko asked in confusion.

"Just do it!" Aang pleaded. With a sigh, he, Aang and Xhäs took their positions. Zuko to the right; Aang to the left and Xhäs down the center. "Let's follow the steps of the statues!"

Moving as one, the three of them imitated the statues' position. Zuko and Xhäs quickly realized what Aang was so excited about, as they felt the switches moving with them.

"Don't you see?" Aang asked as they progressed through the dance. "These aren't dance moves. These statues are giving us a lesson. I think this is some kind of Sun Warrior Firebending form!"

"This better teach us some really good Firebending," Zuko muttered.

With one final thrust, the three boys ended the dance and flipping the final switch. The ground began rumbling as a pedestal emerged from the ground. Upon the pedestal was a golden egg-like object.

"Hurray!" Aang cheered before frowning. "Er, what exactly is that?"

"It's some kind of mystical gem stone," Zuko muttered as he approached it.

"What are you doing?" Xhäs exclaimed. "Don't touch it!"

"Why not?" Zuko asked.

"I agree with Xhäs," Aang said. "Remember what happened out there? With those spikes? I'm just really suspicious of giant glowing gems sitting on pedestals!"

"Yeah, haven't you seen Indiana Jones?" Xhäs asked. The two looked at him blankly. "Er, never mind..."

"You guys are being paranoid," Zuko said, picking the egg up much to Aang and Xhäs's chagrin. "It feels... almost alive..."

Suddenly a geyser of some kind of green fluid shot out of the ground, shooting Zuko straight into the air. The fluid acted like glue and stuck the prince to an airshaft above.

"It's another trap!" Aang exclaimed.

"Ugh," Zuko groaned as he struggled against the fluid. "I can't move free! It's like some kind of glue!"

Aang grabbed Xhäs and his glider and took off into the air. They landed on one of the statues, where Aang sent a great current of air at Zuko in an attempt to get him free. The air current did little more than cause the prince to flip over.

"You just _had _to touch the golden egg didn't you?" Xhäs snapped at the prince as he and Aang leapt upward toward the airshaft. Unfortunately, the two touched the tar in the process and ended up stuck as well.

"I can't move!" Aang shouted. "Zuko, do something!"

"What do you want me to do?" he demanded. "I can't move either!"

The tar began rising and eventually covered their entire bodies, but allowing their heads to stick out of the airshaft. "It stopped," Aang muttered in surprise.

"At least we have air," Zuko said in relief. "Maybe if we stay calm, we can figure a way out..."

_Several HOURS later..._

"You just had to touch it, didn't you?" Xhäs muttered for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"At least I made something happen!" the prince said defensively.

"Oh, yeah, cause this _just _what we needed to happen," the Nobody said sarcastically. "Maybe I should have let Larxene come after all. Just so she could beat your ass."

"But she wouldn't be able to move either," Aang noted.

"Oh, she'd find a way," Xhäs said mysteriously. "But what the hell are we gonna do now?"

"HEEEEEELP!" Aang shouted.

"Who are you yelling for?" Zuko demanded. "Nobody's live here for centuries!"

"Maybe Appa could help us?" Xhäs suggested. "Or at least get help?"

"Good idea!" Aang exclaimed. "Appa! Here, boy!"

"Who is down there?" shouted a new voice, startling all three boys. They looked up in shock to see a middle-aged man wearing some kind of tribal clothing.

"No way," Xhäs muttered.

"A Sun Warrior?" Aang whispered in equal awe.

_Roughly twenty minutes later..._

Xhäs, Zuko and Aang, all covered in tar, sat before an entire tribe of Sun Warriors while being licked clean by three anteater-sloths.

"For trying to take our sunstone," the tribe leader began. "You must be severely punished!"

"We didn't come here to take your sunstone," Zuko denied. "We came here to find the ancient origin of all Firebending."

"Yeah, right," another tribesman scoffed. "They're obviously thieves here to steal Sun Warrior treasures."

"Please," Aang pleaded. "I don't normally play this card but, I'm the Avatar." The tribe just stared at him blankly. Aang sweat dropped and stood. "Just here us out."

"My name is Zuko," the prince said. "Crown Prince of the Fire Nation... Or at least I used to be... I know my people have distorted the ways of Firebending... to be fueled by anger and rage... But now I want to learn the true way... The original way. When we came here, I had no idea the Sun Warrior civilization was still alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence. Please, teach us." He bowed as he said this, prompting Aang and Xhäs to do the same.

"If you wish to learn the ways of the sun," the tribe leader said. "You must learn them from the Masters: Ran, Shaw and Tai Yang."

"There are three of them?" Aang asked. The chief ignored the question and continued.

"When you present yourselves to them, they will examine you," he said. "They will read your souls, ancestry and hearts!" Xhäs froze at this. "If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't, you will be destroyed on the spot!"

Zuko, Aang and Xhäs exchanged nervous glances as the Sun Chief led them away. By the time they reached their destination, it was already sunrise once again. Before them was an enormous bonfire that was encased by an intricate framework of stone and metal.

"This fire is the very first one, it was given to man by the dragons," the chief explained. "We have kept it going for thousands of years."

"I don't believe it..." Zuko whispered in awe.

"You will each take a piece of it to the Masters to show your commitment to the sacred art of Firebending," the chief continued with his explanation.

"Well, er, sir?" Xhäs asked. "I'm not really here to learn Firebending; I'm just here for support."

"Yeah, Mister Sun Chief, sir," Aang said nervously. "I'm not really a Firebender yet. Couldn't my friend here carry my fire for me?"

"To bad!" the chief shouted, causing the three of them to wince. "You have come here, now you must present yourself to the Masters if you wish to avoid punishment!" He turned around and summoned a flame from the great fire. He twisted his arms about and split the flames into three pieces. One in each hand and one floating above his head. "This fire represents the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big and you might lose control."

Zuko nodded and took his flame. Xhäs was unsure what to do. '_It can't be much harder than controlling light. Just focus on the heat and energy..._' He reached out to the flame floating above the chief's head and took it. He let out a sigh of relief as it didn't go out immediately, though it did diminish slightly. He noticed a slight pulsing sensation from the flame. He couldn't exactly place it...

Aang took a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm just nervous," he took the flame, causing his eyes to widen. "It's like a little heartbeat."

"Fire is life," the chief said wisely. "Not just destruction." Both Xhäs and Aang looked at the flame in a new light. "You will take your flames up there," the chief pointed at two far-off mountains that stood side by side like a gateway. "The cave of the Masters is beneath those rocks,"

The three friends looked at each other in apprehension before descending down the stairs and towards the wilderness that lead to the mountains.

It was nearing sunset when they began nearing the summit. Zuko glanced back to see Aang falling behind. "Hurry up!"

"I can't," the Avatar exclaimed. "If I walk too fast my flame will go out."

"Your flame's gonna go out because it's too small," Xhäs noted.

"You're too timid," Zuko agreed. "Give it more juice."

"But what if I can't control it?" Aang asked worried.

"You can do it, I know you can," Zuko encouraged. "You're a talented kid."

Aang smiled and focused on making the flame bigger before they moved on. They reached the summit to see a man-made plateau with a long staircase that rose up towards the clouds. The Sun Chief and several Sun Warriors were awaiting them. The chieftain approached them.

"Facing the judgment of the Firebending Masters will be very dangerous for you," he told Zuko and Aang. He spoke to Zuko first. "Your ancestors are directly responsible for the dragons' disappearance. The Masters might not be too happy to see you."

"I know I wouldn't be," a warrior taunted. It was the same one that accused them of being thieves.

"But once they find out I'm the Avatar-" Aang began.

"Have you forgotten that you vanished, allowing the Fire Nation to wreak havoc on the world?" the chief demanded. "The decline of the dragons is your burden too!"

The chieftain suddenly slammed his staff into the ground and took a piece of their flames. He handed them to three warriors who began spreading them amongst the others. Each of them stood in a circle around them, creating a circle of fire.

"We can turn back now," Aang whispered as the Sun Chief walked away. "We already learned more about Fire than we hoped." He raised his flame with a hopeful smile.

"We already came this far," Xhäs muttered.

"We're seeing this through to the end," Zuko agreed. "We're gonna meet these 'Masters' and find out what's so great about them."

"What if they judge us... and attack us?" Aang asked uncertainly.

"Well we're the Fire Prince and the Avatar and..." Zuko glanced at Xhäs. "A guy with a giant house key..."

"Gee thanks," Xhäs muttered.

"I'm pretty sure we can take these guys in a fight whoever they are," Zuko continued, ignoring Xhäs. Aang still looked uncertain but nodded nonetheless. Zuko turned to the waiting Sun Chief. "Bring 'em out!"

The chief nodded. "Chanters!" he shouted. The Sun Warriors that surrounded them began beating on tribal drums as they began chanting while female Sun Warriors began some kind of dance.

The trio approached the stairs. The Sun Chief and his guards stepped aside as they walked passed them. The trio took a deep breath and continued up the stairs, careful to maintain their flames. As they reached the top of the stairs, they found themselves at a bridge that branched out to the left and right. Each end led down a dark tunnel.

"Those who wish to meet the Masters will now present their flames!" a Sun Warrior said through a horn that amplified his voice. "One to each tunnel and one directly to the sun!"

The trio glanced at each other before doing as they were told. Aang bowed to the eastern tunnel while Zuko faced the western tunnel. Xhäs raised his flame to the north. To the light of the sun.

"Sound the call!" the Sun Chief commanded. A Warrior on the western cliffs blew a gigantic horn that rang throughout the mountain.

Suddenly the mountainside rumbled. Zuko, Aang and Xhäs all jumped in surprise. Aang accidently lost his flame in the process. "What's happening?" Aang cried. He looked around anxiously before realizing that his fire was gone. "Zuko!" he hissed. "My fire went out!"

"What do you want me to do?" the prince hissed back.

"Gimme some of yours!" the Avatar whispered, reaching for Zuko's flame.

"No, just make your own!" Zuko growled.

"I can't!" Aang exclaimed. "Xhäs, you give me some!"

"No!" Xhäs hissed.

From down below the Sun Chief raised an eyebrow as every one of their words vibrated through the plateau.

"Stop cheating off us!" Zuko hissed.

"Stop being so stingy!" Aang exclaimed, trying to get their fire. Unfortunately, this caused them to lose focus and all their flames went out.

"See what you did?" Xhäs exclaimed. The mountainside shook more violently than the last time.

Suddenly two figures erupted from the tunnels they were red and blue respectively. They were had large, long, scaly bodies that ended in thin tails. Shot legs and two very large wings. They were instantly recognizable for what they were...

"I thought you said dragons were extinct!" Xhäs shouted in fear and awe as they began circling around them.

"I thought so too!" Zuko yelled in equal awe and fear. "These are the _Masters_!"

"Still think we can take 'em?" Aang muttered.

"Shut up, I never said that!" Zuko hissed.

"I thought there were three though..." Xhäs began before another rumbling took place.

"You just had to say it didn't you?" Zuko demanded. Xhäs smiled sheepishly. They watched as a pure white serpentine figure erupted from the ground directly north of the summit. A final dragon soared through the clouds and let out a mighty roar before joining the other two in circling them.

"Guys..." Aang whispered. "I think we're supposed to do the Dragon Dance with them."

"What?" Zuko hissed. "What about this situation makes you think they want us to dance?"

"They're obviously waiting for something," Xhäs muttered. "We might as well give it a shot."

They each took up their positions. Zuko to the west. Aang to the east. Xhäs to the north. As they began their dance, the dragons began moving in unison with them. Ran, the red dragon was paired with Zuko, while Shaw, the blue dragon, moved with Aang. Xhäs found his partner in Tai Yang, the white dragon.

The humans ended their dance in unison and saw the dragons poised to strike. Each was staring into their eyes.

"Judgment time..." the Sun Chief whispered down below.

The dragons suddenly leapt forward and let loose a blast of flames. Zuko, Aang and Xhäs all let out cries of fear. However, the flames, instead of incinerating them, began circling around them in a brilliant array of colors and _light_.

The three boys watched in awe as the colors swirled around them. From above, Tai Yang stared into Xhäs's eyes as he breathed his fire. Xhäs suddenly began feeling a familiar sensation of vertigo before he felt himself falling backwards...

**Awaken.**

Xhäs's eyes snapped open. He looked around to see himself standing on the same platform as before. Once again three paths were laid out before him. The only difference was that each path was being entwined by a different dragon.

**Life is nothing but choices.**

**It is your choices that will define who you are...**

**And what you will be...**

**Once again you find yourself at a crossroad.**

Suddenly Ran, the red dragon began speaking. "I represent the light," he said from his perch on the western path. "You trust me, do you not? Follow me and I will lead you to glory..."

**Remember that light does not necessarily mean good...**

Shaw spoke up from the eastern path. "I represent the darkness," she said. "Come to me, child... I will hide and protect you from harm..."

**And that darkness does not necessarily mean evil...**

"I am the light," Ran argued. "Have I done you wrong in the past?"

"The darkness shall keep you safe," Shaw whispered.

Suddenly Tai Yang spoke up in genderless voice. "Do not blindly trust others," it said from the north.

"And what do you represent?" Xhäs asked.

"I represent nothing," it said. "Yet I represent everything at the same time. In the end it is you who must choose what you will find. In the end _you _must choose between what is right and what is wrong."

"The choice," said Ran.

"Is yours," said Shaw.

**So choose.**

'_Light doesn't mean good, darkness doesn't mean evil...'_ Xhäs thought to himself. _'Don't blindly trust in others as it is my choices that define who I am. In the end, I must decide between right and wrong..._'

**Choose...**

'_I'm trying...'_

**Choose**_**!**_

_'Give me a second!'_

"CHOOSE!" Ran and Shaw both shouted.

"Fine!" Xhäs roared as he charged down his path. The path of nothing, yet everything. The choice was his to make and he would make sure they were right.

Suddenly everything around him shattered as he began falling into the surrounding darkness. As he lost consciousness, he heard a familiar voice calling out to him...

"Xhäs!" Aang shouted as he shook the boy. Xhäs groaned as he sat up.

"You okay?" Zuko asked in concern.

"Yeah..." Xhäs muttered as he stood. "Just had a sort of realization..."

The prince nodded. "As did we all." he said as he glanced at the dragons who were disappearing down the tunnels on either side. After making sure Xhäs was okay, the trio began descending the stairs. "The fire was beautiful," Zuko said. "I saw so many colors, colors I never imagined!"

"Like Firebending harmony," Aang agreed as they reached the plateau once more. The chief was waiting for them.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "They judged you and gave you visions on the meaning of Firebending and perhaps more," he added at Xhäs.

"I can't believe there are still living dragons," Zuko muttered. "My uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon and killed it."

"So your uncle lied?" Aang asked.

"Actually, it wasn't a total lie," the chief chuckled. "Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret on to him as well." He chuckled at the look of awe on Zuko's face.

"He must have lied to protect them," the prince said in realization. "So no one else would hunt them."

"All this time, I thought Firebending was destruction," Aang muttered. "Since I hurt Katara, I'm too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is. It's energy... and life."

Xhäs nodded. "It's like the sun," he said. "And the light. It has the power to both create and destroy."

"Do you realize this?" Zuko asked the chief excitedly. The older man chuckled at the prince.

"Well, our civilization _is _called the Sun Warriors," he said. "So, yeah."

"That was why my Firebending was so weak before!" the prince exclaimed. He turned to Aang. "Because for so many years, hunting you was my drive, my purpose! So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire... But now, I have a new drive. I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world."

With that, he lashed his fist out, creating a large plume of fire. Aang took a breath and mimicked his motions and a blast of fire shot out of his fist. Aang let a happy grin form on his face.

The Sun Chief turned to Xhäs expectantly. "Go on," he urged. "Show us the power of the sun. Show us the power of light!"

Xhäs nodded and leapt forward, bringing his arm down in a sweeping motion and sending a blade of pure light and energy into the rocky mountainside. Xhäs grinned as his power was significantly increased. He spun around and lashed his fist out in a manner similar to Zuko and Aang while casting Fira. He was not surprised to see the spell upgraded as Firegun was unleashed onto the mountainside.

The trio smiled proudly as they reassembled before the chief.

"Now that you have learned the secrets and know about our tribe's existence," he said ominously. "We now have no choice but to imprison you here forever!"

The trio stared at him in shock as several Sun Warriors looked ready to pounce on them.

The chief smirked. "Just kidding," Xhäs, Aang and Zuko visibly relaxed as the surrounding Sun Warriors laughed at them. The chief turned serious once more. "But, seriously, _don't tell anyone_!"

"No worries," Xhäs said happily.

"You can count on us," Aang said as Appa suddenly appeared landing on the plateau.

"Why couldn't he have shown up when we were stuck in the tar?" Zuko muttered. He bowed to the chief. "Thank you for this honor."

"Stand tall, Fire Prince," the chief nodded as the trio mounted the Sky Bison and took off into the horizon.

* * *

_Western Air Temple_

"With this technique the dragons showed us, the three of us will be unstoppable!" Aang exclaimed as the trio showed off their new Dancing Dragon technique. With every other move they let out a spurt of flames before ending the dance.

The GAang clapped as they finished. Sokka stared at them blankly.

"Yeah, that's a great dance you guys learned there," he said.

"It's not a dance!" Zuko said defensively. "It's a Firebending form!"

"We'll just tap dance our way to victory over the Firelord," Sokka snickered as Toph and Larxene joined in.

"It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!" Zuko snapped.

"Oh, yeah?" Katara asked. "What's your little form called?"

Zuko let out a scowl. "The... Dancing Dragon..." he muttered as everyone began laughing.

"Maybe I should start calling _you _Twinkletoes!" Toph snorted. Zuko face palmed.

* * *

**A/N: I realize that the sun sets in the west... just... work with me here, please? lol**

**Hope you liked** **Xhäs's little experience. Hope it wasn't too dull or repetitive****.**

**Ran and Shaw are the actual names of the red and blue dragons. They mean 'combustion' and 'to burn/cook' in Chinese. Tai Yang is my own creation it means 'sun' in Chinese. Sorry if you didn't like it, but I had to add it in for Xhäs.**

**Oh, by the way... Xhäs needs a Toph nickname! You guys wanna help me out? By the way, Zuko's name isn't going to be Twinkletoes. That's reserved for Aang! lol**


	13. Don't Drop the Soap

**A/N: Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while. I've been having some RL issues. Hope you enjoy this chapter somewhat.**

* * *

Xhäs, Larxene and the GAang sat around the fire as Zuko served them tea.

"No one can make tea like Uncle," the prince said. "But hopefully I learned a thing or two. Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

"Sure," Katara said.

"I like jokes!" Aang agreed.

"Okay," Zuko began. "Well... I can't remember how it starts, but the punchline is 'Leaf me alone! I am bushed!'" Everyone stared at him blankly, causing the prince to blush. "Well it's funnier when Uncle tells it..."

"Right, probably because he remembers the whole thing," Katara said sarcastically, causing everyone else to laugh. Zuko blushed again but took the teasing in stride.

"It's nice to get the chance to relax a little," Toph remarked, rolling her shoulders. "It hardly ever happens."

Sokka was the only one that was not participating in the group's chatter, and was instead sitting outside the circle. He looked up as Zuko offered him a cup of tea.

"Hey," he muttered. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Zuko glanced back at the others and caught Xhäs's eye. The two nodded, signaling that they would talk later before Zuko followed the the younger boy.

"So what's up?" the prince asked as they were out of earshot of the others.

"If someone was... captured by the Fire Nation... where would they be taken?" Sokka asked.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked. "Who was captured?"

Sokka sighed. "When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken," he muttered. "I just wanna know where they might be."

"I can't tell you..."

"What?" Sokka asked startled. "Why not?"

"Trust me," Zuko sighed. "Knowing would just make you feel worse."

He turned to leave but Sokka grabbed his shoulder. "It's my dad," he said. "He was captured too. I need to know what I put him through."

"It's not good, Sokka..."

"Please," the boy pleaded. Zuko stared at him for several moments before answering.

"My guess is they were taken to the Boiling Rock," he said finally.

"What's that?"

"The highest security prison in the Fire Nation," Zuko said gravelly as Sokka's eyes widened. "It's on an island in the middle of a boiling lake. It's inescapable."

Sokka closed his eyes in thought. "So where is this place?"

"What?" Zuko asked in surprise. "Why do you need to know? What are you planning?"

"Nothing," Sokka said unconvincingly. "Boy, you're so paranoid!" he added, trying to laugh it off. Zuko was not convinced but answered nonetheless.

"It's in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation," he said . "You guys acutally flew right passed in on the way here."

"Thanks, Zuko," Sokka smiled and pretended to yawn. "Just knowing makes me feel better." With that the boy strode passed the former prince.

"I'm sure it does..." Zuko muttered. As they returned to the group, Zuko motioned to Xhäs, who quickly stood. The Nobody made his way over to the banished prince and the duo found a secluded area.

"So what did he want?" Xhäs questioned.

"Information on the whereabouts of his father and his troops," Zuko answered. "During the invasion they were apparently captured."

"And did you tell him?" Xhäs asked.

"Yes, but I'm starting to regret it," the prince admitted.

"What?" Xhäs exclaimed. "Why?"

Zuko sighed. "They're being held at the Boiling Rock. _The _highest security prison in the Fire Nation. I have a feeling Sokka's going to try and rescue them."

"On his own?" Zuko nodded. "But that's insane!"

"Which is exactly why I regret telling him," the prince said.

"When do you think he's going to attempt it?" Xhäs asked.

"I don't know..."

Xhäs gave it some thought. "It'll most likely be at night," she reasoned. "When everyone's asleep. He most likely doesn't want to risk anyone else."

"We'll wait for him on Appa," Zuko told them. "That'll most likely be Sokka's only mode of transportation."

The other two quickly agreed and the duo returned to the others. Larxene noticed something was odd and narrowed her eyes.

"What's going on?" she questioned as Xhäs sat next to her.

"What makes you say something is wrong?" her best friend asked. She simply raised an eyebrow, making him sigh.

"I can't lie to you, can I?" Xhäs asked sheepishly. The blonde simply smirked at him. A few minutes later, she was informed of the plan. Now all they had to do was wait for Sokka to make his move...

* * *

Aang snored loudly as he and the others slept peacefully. Sokka made certain that his footsteps made no noise and was extra careful not to wake Toph by walking lightly. He glanced back at the others before letting out a sigh of relief. He almost jumped out of his skin when he saw he just nearly stepped on Aang's Flying Lemur, Momo. Sidestepping the sleeping simian, Sokka silently roused Appa before climbing up on the Sky Bison's back.

"Not up to anything, huh?" Zuko asked as he, Xhäs, and Larxene stared at him. Sokka nearly shrieked but managed to control himself. Unfortunately, he did not possess enough control to avoid falling off the bison and flat on his backside.

"Fine!" Sokka hissed from his position on the ground. "You caught me, I"m gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?"

"I'm never happy," Zuko retorted.

"Look, I have to do this," Sokka said as he placed his scattered supplies back in his pack. "The invasion plan was _my _idea, it was _my _decision to stay when this were going wrong. It was my mistake and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor, you guys can't stop me."

Larxene smirked. "Who said we were going to stop you?"

"You need to regain your honor?" Zuko asked. "I understand completely. I'm going with you."

"No," Sokka said firmly. "I have to do this on my own. It was my mistake and I have to fix it."

Xhäs looked at him empathetically. "I understand that you feel guilty, Sokka," he said. "But you don't have to do this alone. Especially with something as important as this."

Zuko continued the assualt, but chose to be a bit more harsh. "And how exactly are you going to get there?" he demanded. "Last time I checked, prisons don't exactly have bison day cares."

Sokka stiffed. He hadn't thought of that. He couldn't exactly leave Appa standing around, and he needed a ready escape route...

"We'll take my war balloon," Zuko said with triumph in his voice. With that, he led them all towards their new mode of transportation.

The next morning, the GAang found Momo snuggling with a piece of paper.

"What does it say?" Toph questioned as Katara took the parchment.

"_Need meet. Gon fi5hing. Bak in f3w d4yz - Sokka, Zuko, Xhäs and Larxene._" Katara read the hastily written note aloud as Aang stretched out, happy to get a day off. _"_One more thing," she said as she began reading the noticeably neater and more grammatically correct portion of the letter. _"Aang, practice your Firebending while I'm gone. Do twenty sets of Fire-Fists and ten Hot-Squats every time you hear a Badger-Frog croak - Zuko."_

Just then, the GAang heard the tell-tale sound of a Badger-Frog croaking. With a groan, Aang stood up. "Nobody else has homework..." he muttered as he began his exercises. "One Hot-Squat... Two Hot-Squats..."

* * *

High above the clouds, Zuko, Sokka, Xhäs and Larxene stood atop a small propeller-and-balloon-powered vessel. Zuko kept a steady supply of fire to keep the balloon afloat. It was obvious that Sokka and Zuko were still awkward around each other, being former enemies and all.

"Pretty clouds," Sokka said, attempting to break the silence.

"Yeah, fluffy," Zuko muttered.

"Y'know, a friend of mine actually designed these war balloons," Sokka said.

"No kidding?"

"Yup," Sokka nodded. "A balloon. But for war..."

"If there's one thing my dad's good at, it's war..." Zuko muttered as he bent more flames into the furnace.

"Yeah, it seems to run in the family," Sokka noted.

"Hey, not everyone in my family is like that," Zuko said defensively. Xhäs and Larxene watched the verbal tennis match in frustration and amusement, respectively.

"This is annoying," Xhäs muttered.

"You kidding, this is fun," Larxene laughed.

"Well they have to move passed this some time," Xhäs said.

"I doubt that," Larxene shook her head.

"I know, I know," Sokka replied to the prince. "You've changed-"

"I meant my uncle," Zuko whispered. "He was more of a father to me... And... I really let him down."

Sokka smiled sadly at the prince. "I think you're uncle would be proud of you." he said. "Leaving your home to come help us. That's hard."

"Point one for Xhäs," the raven-haired Nobody muttered to his companion.

"Shut up."

"It wasn't that hard," Zuko muttered.

"Really?" Sokka asked in surprise. "You didn't leave behind anyone you cared about?"

"Well, I did have a girlfriend," Zuko said with a slight smile. "Mai..."

"You? A girlfriend? Pfft," Larxene snickered. Zuko glared at her.

Sokka laughed. "That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?" he asked.

"Yeah," Zuko smirked before frowning once more. "Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I'm a traitor. I couldn't drag her into it."

Sokka sat back, more somber now. "My first girlfriend turned into the moon." he stated. Everyone stared at him as though he were crazy. "What she did!"

"That's... rough, man," Xhäs said. Sokka rolled his eyes.

It was early by the time they reached the prison. Dawn would be here soon.

"That's it!" Zuko exclaimed to his companions. The other three rushed to the bow of the ship. "There's enough steam to keep us covered. As long as we stay quiet, we should be able to navigate through it."

Unfortunately, the moment the balloon entered the steam, the ship began sinking. Zuko panicked and attempted to send more flames into the furnace.

"We're going down!" the prince exclaimed.

"The air outside is just as hot as the air inside," Larxene explained. "So the balloon can't fly!"

"Well what are we supposed to do?" Xhäs demanded.

"I don't know," Sokka exclaimed in dismay. "Crash landing?"

"Mayday, mayday, mayday!" Xhäs shouted as the ship crashed into the shore of the island. The quartet was sent flying out onto the shore in a heap.

"Well there goes out escape route," Zuko muttered.

"I knew we should have taken Appa," Sokka growled.

"I don't think Appa would appreciate all this heat and humidity," Xhäs noted.

"At least we might have a chance at escaping," Larxene retorted.

"We'll figure something out," Sokka said. "I suspected it might be a one day ticket."

"And you wanted to come anyway?" Xhäs exclaimed in surprise.

"My dad might be here!" the Water Tribe boy retorted as he fiddled with the ship's remains. "I _had _to come and see!"

"My uncle said I never thought things through... but this," Zuko growled. "But this is just crazy!"

"Hey, I never wanted you to come along in the first place!" Sokka defended himself. "And for the record, I _always _think things through! But my plans haven't exactly worked so this time I'm playing it by ear. So there!" With a grunt he pushed the ship into the water, submerging it completely.

"What are you doing?" Xhäs asked.

"It doesn't work anyway and we don't want anyone to find it," Sokka explained.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Zuko said as they all glanced up at the intimidating fortress-prison. "There's no turning back now."

"Watch out!" Larxene hissed. The quartet quickly ducked behind a boulder as four guards walked passed them on patrol.

"We're in luck!" Sokka grinned. "We might be able to fit in thier armor!"

"Then lets go," Xhäs exclaimed as he quickly leapt forward, knocking out one of the guards with a kick to the back of the head. The others followed his lead and incapacitated the guards without much trouble. The quartet dragged their victims behind the boulders before stripping them of their armor. Larxene took the female's armor, while Xhäs took the smallest. This left the other two to Zuko and Sokka.

"There's a side door around here somewhere," Zuko muttered as the group scanned the high walls of the fortress. "There!"

They quickly made their way up the rocky slope and went through the door.

"I hope these disguises work," Xhäs said.

"We just need to lay low and find my dad as soon as possible," Sokka replied. All four of them were startled when a large squad of guards went running passed them. One of them stopped and called out to them.

"There's a scuffle in the yard, come on!"

So much for laying low," Larxene muttered as they followed the other guards. They entered the yard to see a large ring of prisoners watching something. The quartet, along with the other guards broke through the ring to see what was going on.

"I didn't do anything!" a rather large man growled. He turned away from the lieutenant that was speaking to him. "I'm going back to my cell."

"Stop right there, Chit Sang!" the lieutenant shouted as he created a fire whip. Zuko and Xhäs stepped forward to intervene, but Sokka and Larxene held them back.

"We can't blow our cover," Sokka whispered.

Another lieutenant next to Xhäs stepped toward Chit Sang. "I've had it with your unruly behavior,"

"What did I do?" the prisoner demanded.

"He wants to know what he did," he chuckled and leaned towards Xhäs. "Isn't that cute?"

They didn't respond, causing him to pause and look at them suspiciously.

"Um, very cute, sir," Zuko said.

"Super cute!" Sokka agreed.

"So cute, it makes me want to hurl..." Larxene muttered.

"What was that?" The lieutenant demanded.

"She said 'So cute it makes me want to... whirl... in... excitement'?" Xhäs said rather lamely. The lieutenant nodded like the idiot he was and turned back to the commotion. Both Xhäs and Sokka jabbed Larxene in the ribs and glared.

"You didn't bow down when we walked by, Chit Sang," the first lieutenant said.

"That's not a prison rule!" Chit Sang exclaimed.

"Do it!" the guard snarled.

"Make. Me." Chit Sang growled in return. The guard smirked and walked away. In an instant he sent a plume of fire at Chit Sang. Reacting fast, the prisoner caught the flames and sent them straight back. The guard deflected the fire with a kick and dispelled it with a smirk.

"Tsk tsk," he mocked. "Firebending is prohibited. You're going in the cooler."

"That was completely unfair!" Xhäs hissed.

"It's prison," Larxene muttered. "The guards can do whatever they want."

Suddenly the guard pointed at Sokka. "You!" he called. "Help me bring him in!"

Sokka sighed. "Meet back here in an hour," he said before jogging forward to help the lieutenant. The Water Tribe boy 'helped' restrain the prisoner as they escorted him to the Cooler. Chit Sang wasn't putting up much of a fight, but...

As they reached a series of barred doors, they stopped in front of one. "The Warden will deal with you later," the guard said as he tossed Chit Sang into what looked like a freezer/refrigerator. Sokka closed the door behind him. "Can you believe this guy?"

"Prisoners, am I right?" Sokka replied, playing the part.

"Feh, tell me about it," the guard muttered.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

Zuko, Xhäs and Larxene stood in line at the cafeteria. As they reached the food, one of the guards called out to them.

"Yo, new people," he called. "I know it's the rule to have your helmet on at all times, but this is the lounge! Go ahead and relax!"

Zuko looked at them nervously. His face was pretty well known among the Fire Nation. "But what if there's an incident?" he asked as the trio walked over with their trays. "If I'm not prepared, someone can strike me on the head."

The guards laughed at him. The female smiled at them. "Give it a week, and you'll loosen up,"

"So, can this new guy ask you veterans a few questions about the prison?" Xhäs asked.

"No, you can't date the female guards," the female said instantly. One of the males leaned towards them.

"Trust me, you don't want to," he snickered, only to yelp as a cup hit him on the forehead, courtesy of his female companion.

"No, that's not it," Zuko said. "The Boiling Rock. It holds the Fire Nation's most dangerous criminals, right?" They nodded. "So what about POWs?"

* * *

Sokka looked through the little window of the Cooler in concern. Chit Sang was curled in the fetal position, shivering like mad.

"It sure looks cold in there," he remarked.

"That's why we call it the _Cooler_," the other guard said as though he were an idiot. "He won't be Firebending in there..." He suddenly snapped to attention as someone approached. "It's the Warden! Look alive!"

The Warden completely ignored them and forced the Cooler door open. "So, Chit Sang," he said to the shivering man before him. "I heard you tried to use Firebending to escape. You should know better."

"I wasn't _trying _to escape..." Chit Sang growled.

"He's lying!" the guard denied. "I saw him with my own eyes!"

"No one has ever, _ever _escaped from here," the Warden said coldly. "I'd sooner jump in the boiling lake before I let that record fall. Don't forget it. Now go back to your shivering."

With that the Warden strode off.

* * *

Zuko, Larxene and Xhäs found a lone guard at the top of one of the watchtowers that overlooked the yard.

"That has to be him," Xhäs said.

"We have to make sure," Larxene reasoned.

"I will," Zuko volunteered. He strode up to the guard and leaned agains the railway. "Hello, there... fellow guard... person..."

Larxene and Xhäs face palmed. The guard immediately brightened.

"Zuko?" Sokka asked.

"Shh!" the ex-prince hushed as he motioned Xhäs and Larxene over. "Listen, we asked around the lounge. There are no Water Tribe prisoners. I'm afraid your father's not here."

"What?" Sokka demanded. "Are you sure? Did you double check?"

"Yeah," Xhäs nodded sadly. "We're sure."

"No..." Sokka whispered. "NO!" He punched one of the walls in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Sokka," Zuko muttered.

"So we came all this way for nothing?" Sokka asked. He sighed. "I failed. _Again_."

"What would Uncle say?" Zuko asked himself. Xhäs and Larxene immediately braced themselves for another round of bad imitations. The prince glanced up at the sky in concentration. "Sometimes clouds have two sides... a dark and light, and a silver lining in between. It's like a silver sandwich! So... when life seems hard... take a bite out of the silver sandwich!"

"That made no sense!" Larxene exclaimed. Zuko began sulking.

"You were doing so well, too," Xhäs laughed. "How about this? Everything has an upside and a downside. We've found the downside, so there has to be an upside, right?"

Suddenly something caught Sokka's eye. "I think I've found that upside!" he exclaimed, rushing to the railing. He pointed down into the yard at a pretty girl. "It's Suki!"

Just then, a bell began ringing throughout the yard. "Prisoners, back to your cells!" a guard shouted. They watched as the girl sighed and followed the other prisoners back into the prison.

"Let's go!" Sokka exclaimed happily.

By the time they got to the prisons, the corridors were empty of guards. Sokka immediately found Suki's cell.

"Zuko, you knock on the door if someone's coming," Sokka ordered.

"Got it," Zuko said with a nod as Sokka entering the cell.

Suki looked up at the guard that entered her cell. "What is it?" she spat. "Did I do something wrong?"

Sokka smirked, crossing his arms. "You mean you don't recognize me?"

She scoffed. "You people all look the same to me," she muttered.

"Oh?" Sokka asked. "Then maybe you'll recognize this!" He grinned and leaned in, his lips puckered for a kiss...

_WHAM!_

Sokka was sent flying back from the force of Suki's punch. He slammed into the wall, knocking his helmet in the process.

"That helmet did not help whatsoever!" Sokka glared at the offending armor as he rubbed the lump on his head.

"S-Sokka?" Suki gasped. "Sokka! It's you!" She rushed forward and embraced. Sokka smiled and hugged her back.

"The other Kyoshi Warriors, are they here?" Sokka asked. Suki shook her head.

"No," she whispered. "I don't know where they are. They locked me in here because I'm the leader."

"Well you won't be here long," Sokka promised. "I'm bustin' you out."

"I'm so glad to see you, Sokka," Suki said softly as she caressed his face. "I knew you'd come..."

The two lovers met in a passionate kiss when suddenly there was a knocking at the door.

"Crap," Sokka cursed.

"'Scuse me," an unfamiliar voice said. "I need to get into that cell."

"No you can't go in there," Zuko's voice came. "T-the lights are out. The prisoner could sneak up on you."

"Step aside, fool," the guard said. "Hey, what are you doing?"

There were sounds of a scuffle outside. "Sokka," Xhäs hissed through the bars of the cell door. "Get your ass in gear!"

Sokka quickly crept through the door to see Zuko, Larxene and Xhäs trying to restrain the female guard. He began creeping away, but the guard spotted him.

"Guard, help!" she called. "I think they're imposters! Get 'em off me and arrest them!"

Sokka stepped forward... grabbing Zuko and slamming him into the ground. Xhäs and Larxene looked at him in shock, giving the female guard the chance she needed to knock them to the floor.

"You're under arrest," Sokka exclaimed. He quickly leaned forward and whispered to them. "Don't worry, I'll figure it out!"

With that, Sokka led them away, as the female guard kept a dagger of flames trained on them.

Not five minutes later, Xhäs and Larxene were thrown into a random cell. They had dragged Zuko away immediately after they unmasked him. His scar made him instantly recognizable.

"Damn it!" Larxene cursed. "Now what?"

"We could use a DC (Dark Corridor) to get out," Xhäs suggested. "We might be able to grab more disguises."

"They would notice our escape," Larxene said. "That would raise security and likely spark and inspection of the guards, putting Sokka at risk."

"Hm," Xhäs hummed, smirking. "Since when do you care about Sokka's well being?"

The blonde glared at him. "I don't," she denied. "But right now, it seems like he's our best chance of escaping. Besides, you know we're not supposed to use DCs until we're done with the mission."

"Ugh, we don't even know what the damn mission is," Xhäs grumbled. "What's Saïx got against me? He doesn't treat the other members like this..."

"He's just a jealous prick," Larxene shrugged. "You yourself said he was afraid of losing lapdog privledges."

"I'm not looking for lapdog privledges!" Xhäs exclaimed.

"I'm sure he knows that now," she said. "But now you two have a sort of personal grudge against each other now. That little misunderstanding turned into something more. Much more."

"He sent us into the middle of a war zone, Larxene!" Xhäs hissed. "Without telling us anything! Now look at us! We're locked up in a cage! Who knows what's going to happen next?"

"We'll get through it together," Larxene said firmly. "Anything that comes our way, I'll protect you."

Xhäs blushed slightly. "I don't need protecting..." he muttered. "But thanks anyway... So we wait?"

"We wait."

* * *

_With Zuko..._

Zuko glanced up as his cell door slammed open.

"Well, well, well," the Warden's deep voice chuckled. "Never thought I'd see you in here... Prince Zuko."

"How did you know who I am?" Zuko asked.

"How could I not?" the Warden retorted. He narrowed his eyes at Zuko. "You broke my niece's heart."

Zuko stiffened as he shot up. "You're Mai's uncle?" he gasped. Zuko looked down. "I never meant to hurt her..."

"Quiet!" the Warden snapped. He smirked. "You're my special prisoner now... and you'd best behave. If these criminals found our who you are... the traitor prince who let his nation down... why, they'd tear you to shreads."

Zuko crossed his arms. "So what's in it for you?" he asked. "Why don't you just tell my father and collect the reward?"

"Oh, in due time, believe me, I intend to collect," the Warden chuckled as he stepped out of the room. "Oh, by the way. Don't drop the soap." He slammed the door shut.

* * *

_Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice or lightning, lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash. Though the water's great guardian shall rise to quell the righting, alone its song will fail, and thus the world shall turn to Ash._

_Ash get to bed!_

_Hey, Ash, wait up!_

_Ash, shouldn't Pikachu be in its Poke Ball?_

_This is Pikachu._

_Pikapi!_

_Pokemon Master! That is what I'll-_

_Ash get to bed!_

_Remember to change your underwear..._

_MOM!_

_"Mommy?" a little boy asked. "Where's daddy?"_

_A beautiful red-haired woman smiled sadly. "We'll see him again someday," she whispered. "Even if we don't recognize each other, we'll meet again. I promise."_

_I promise..._

_I promise..._

_I promise..._

_Xhäs..._

_Xhäs ..._

"Xhäs, wake up!"

The boy in question shot up in cold sweat. What the hell was that? We those memories of his past life? Were they finally coming back? He remembered that Ash was his former name... That woman must have been his mother... And that mouse...

"Xhäs are you okay?" Larxene asked in concern.

"Y-yeah," Xhäs muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Just a dream." He looked up at his blonde friend. "So has anything happened yet?"

"No,"

Xhäs sighed and stretched out on the bed. "Hey, Larxene?"

"Yes?"

"I remember something that Xemnas told me," Xhäs said thoughtfully. "That in time, I'd be able to control my own Class of Nobody. When will I be able to do that?"

She shook her head. "I've never even thought about it, so I wouldn't know."

"You haven't done it yet?" Xhäs asked. "Do you know who has?"

Larxene thought about it. "Well, Xemnas has the Sorcerers." she began. "Xigbar has the Snipers. Xaldin has Dragoons, the elf has his Berserkers. Axel made the Assassins, while Demyx made the Dancers. Obviously Luxord made the Gamblers. That's all I know."

Xhäs's brow furrowed. "Maybe I should give it a shot?"

Larxene shrugged. "Might as well try," she said. "Nothing else to do but wait for Sokka."

Xhäs nodded and closed his eyes. He began concentrating on summoning a lesser Nobody. At once a Dusk appeared before him. A Dusk was the most basic form of Nobody. While it cannot regain its human appearance, Organization members can increase its power and form a new type or 'Class' of Nobody. Xhäs began channeling some of his own energy into the Dusk. An image made its way into his head as he sent a bit of his personality as well.

"Xhäs..."

Larxene's whisper caused Xhäs to open his eyes. Before them now stood a completely new majority of its body appears to be covered in a grey jumpsuit with bell sleeves and a lighter grey seam going down the front. Each sleeve has the Nobody emblem printed on them, and only the Nobody's black hands are visible. The black, featureless, pointed feet of the creature sprouts out from each of the legs of the jumpsuit. A dark grey sash hung on the Nobody's waist, where two swords hung in waiting.

The Nobody bowed to them. "So what are you going to call them?" Larxene asked.

"Samurai," Xhäs answered.

Suddenly there was the sound of a the cell door being opened. The newly named Samurai grabbed a sword, ready to attack.

"No, get out of here!" Xhäs hissed. The Nobody immediately disappeared. Just in time as a guard stepped in.

"Clean up duty," he grunted, tossing them both mops.

They were lead to an area where two other prisoners were already mopping.

"Zuko!" Xhäs exclaimed in surprise.

"You guys okay?" the prince asked.

"As okay as we can be in prison," Larxene said offhandedly. The two began mopping as well.

"Who are you two?" Suki asked.

"Xhäs and Larxene, we're with Sokka," the crimson-eyed boy replied. Just then the boy in question approached them.

"Oh, good, you guys have met," he said.

"Actually, we met a long time ago," Suki replied, glancing at Zuko.

Zuko looked at her in confusion. "We did?"

"Yeah, you kinda burned down my village," Suki said sarcastically.

"Oh, sorry about that," Zuko said awkwardly. "Nice to see you again."

"I swear, Zuko, you have to be the most awkward person I know," Xhäs laughed.

"Listen," Sokka said. "I think I have an escape plan. I checked out the Coolers again. The whole point of them is to keep Firebender contained, right? So they're completely insolated and sealed to keep the cold in. Well, to keep the cold _in _it has to keep the heat _out_, right?"

Xhäs saw where he was going with this. But was skeptical. "So, what?" he asked. "You plan on using one to sail across the boiling lake?"

"Exactly," Sokka grinned. The other four looked at each other.

"The Cooler as a boat?" Zuko asked skeptically. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm telling you, it'll work!" Sokka insisted. "I walked around the perimeter, there's a blind spot between two guard towers. It's the perfect launching point! I already tested it out. We'll just roll the Cooler into the water and just flow with the current. It'll take us straight across. As long as we don't make a sound, no one will notice."

"But how are you going to get the Cooler out?" Suki asked.

"Yeah, how are you going to get the Cooler out?" a voice from above them asked. The quintet looked up in shock to see Chit Sang on the stairs. He jumped down and crouched next to them.

"W-what?" Sokka asked. "Pfft, we didn't say that!"

"Yeah, you heard wrong," Zuko said.

"I _heard _you're hatching an escape plan," Chit Sang said. "And I want in."

"There's nothing to get _in _on," Xhäs replied.

"Yeah, the only thing we're hatching is... an egg?" Sokka finished lamely.

Xhäs sighed. "I take it back," he said. "I think Zuko and Sokka are both equally awkward."

"Well, I come with you or the Warden hears about this _'egg' _too," Chit Sang threatened.

"I guess we have no choice," Larxene growled.

"Okay," Sokka said reluctantly. "You're in. First we need somebody to unbolt the Cooler," he handed Zuko a wrench. "From the inside."

"Oh," Chit Sang said with a grin. "I can get you inside."

Chit Sang had Zuko pretend to bump into him as he mopped. "Hey, what are you, stupid?" the man shouted. "Watch where you're going!"

He shoved Zuko several feet back. "Hey," Zuko exclaimed. "You watch who you're shoving!" He then proceeded to shove Chit Sang back.

"I think you mean _'whom' _I am shoving!" Chit Sang retorted as several prisoners and guards began gathering around the commotion.

Sokka 'raced' onto the scene. "I need backup over here!" he shouted.

Zuko dodged a punch from Chit Sang and sent a ball of flames at the ground near the man's feet.

"No Firebending!" A guard shouted. "Into the Cooler!"

Several guards tackled Zuko to the ground and dragged him away. The remaining five glanced at each other before silently dispersing.

Sokka at the Coolers thirty minutes later and opened Zuko's. "I can take you back to your cell if you've learned your lesson," the Water Tribe boy said.

Zuko let out a breath of fire and smirked. "Yes, I have," he nodded, revealing the various bolts he had unscrewed.

Sokka grinned and whispered, "I got the others out of their cells a few minutes ago, they're waiting for us at the shore."

Zuko suddenly stiffened. "Someone's coming!" he quickly grabbed Sokka and dragged him inside. The two listened as two guards passed by.

"So they've got some new arrivals coming in," a guard said.

"Anyone interesting?"

"Nah, just the usual," the first guard replied. "Some robbers, some traitors, some war prisoners."

Sokka's eyes widened as he and Zuko shared a glance.

"War prisoners," Zuko muttered. "It could be your father."

"I know..."

"Well what should we do?" Zuko asked. "Are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night?"

"I don't know," Sokka muttered. "Is it right to risk Suki's freedom... _all _of our freedom on the slim chance that my dad's gonna show up?"

"It's your call, Sokka," Zuko said solemnly.

* * *

Xhäs and Larxene's ears perked up as they heard a rumbling sound approaching them. They glanced up to see Sokka and Zuko rolling down the slope with the Cooler. They rushed up and helped them.

"Took you guys long enough," Larxene said irritably. "That Chit Sang guy's making us take his friend and girlfriend."

"Fine," Sokka growled as they reached the shore. "Everybody in the Cooler. Let's go." They quickly pushed the Cooler into the boiling water. Sokka upturned a nearby boulder where they had hidden their belongings.

"Are you sure you wanna go?" Zuko asked, confusing the others. "You're the one who said you wanted to redeem yourself, redeem your honor... Rescuing your dad is your chance."

"Your dad?" Suki asked. Sokka looked up at them.

"If I had just cut my loses at the Invasion, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess," he said quietly. "Maybe sometimes it's just better to call it quits before you fail."

"No, it's not," Xhäs argued. Zuko nodded.

"He's right," he agreed. "Look, you're going to fail a lot before things work out, Sokka."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" the Water Tribe boy asked.

"Let him finish," Xhäs said.

"Even though you'll probably fail over and over and over again..."

"Though skipping to the point would probably be nice," Xhäs admitted.

"You have to try every time," Zuko finished.

"You can't quit because you're afraid you _might _fail," Xhäs said.

"Hey!" Chit Sang exclaimed. "If you guys are done being all cuddly, can we get a move on?"

"No," Sokka said. "I'm staying." He turned to Suki. "You've been here long enough."

"I'm not leaving without you, Sokka," Suki said with a smile.

"We're staying, too," Zuko said, gesturing to himself, Xhäs and Larxene.

"Not me," Chit Sang interrupted. "I'm out." With that he pushed the Cooler off of shore and jumped in.

The remaining five watched the Cooler drift away. "We just gave up our only chance at escaping," Sokka muttered. "I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake."

As they sidled along the wall on their way back to the prison, they heard a loud voice scream. They turned back to the Cooler to see it was Chit Sang. He had been burned by the boiling water and screamed in pain. They next heard the prison's warning bells ringing.

"The plan failed!" Sokka gasped. "They've been caught!" They increased their speed to see the gondola that carried new prisoners coming towards the prison.

"There it is," Larxene muttered.

Sokka gulped. "This is it," he said softly. "If my dad's not there, we risked everything for nothing."

"We had to," Suki whispered, holding his hand.

Sokka stared as the gondola began unloading prisoners. "Come on, come on..." A large man stepped out.

"Is that him?" Zuko asked.

"My dad doesn't have a nose ring," Sokka replied, almost offended. They watched as a line of prisoners was brought out. "Where is he...!" A white haired man stepped off. "That's it...? That... can't be it..."

"I'm sorry, Sokka," Suki appologized. Something caught Xhäs's eye.

"Don't be sorry just yet," he said. "Take a look. Is that him?"

Sokka's eyes snapped up to see a strong-looking brown-haired man with a goatee step off the gondola. "Dad..."


	14. Escape

**A/N: Alright, reviews have dwindled down to practically nonexistence. I thank those of you who have been reviewing, but I'll be finishing this earlier than I originally planned. I'll probably only go to two or three more worlds. Expect some more time skips later on.**

"Line 'em up for the Warden!" a captain shouted. His subordinates quickly forced the new prisoners into a straight line. Sokka quickly snuck into the group of guards, still disguised as one of them.

"Dad..." he muttered.

"Welcome to the Boiling Rock," the Warden said, examining each of the prisoners. "I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumors about our little island. Well I just want to tell you, they don't have to be true..." He stopped at Sokka's father, Hakoda, who was staring at the ground. "As long as you do everything I say." Hakoda didn't budge. "Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."

"No," Hakoda said defiantly.

"No?" the Warden demanded. "You'd rather look at my shoes? Then take a look!" He quickly forced Hakoda to his hands and knees, his face on the ground. "I know exactly who you are, Hakoda of the Water Tribe. So strong willed... But don't worry; we'll get rid of that in time. Now look me in the eye!" Slowly, Hakoda did as he was told. "See, isn't that better." The Warden turned to the other prisoners. "You will all do as I say or pay the price. You will all-"

Hakoda snarled as he tripped the Warden, who attempted to walk away. Sokka snickered from the sidelines. "Are you okay, sir?" a guard asked.

"I'm fine!" the Warden snapped. "Get these prisoners out of my sight!" He quickly strode away, fuming.

Sokka watched as the guards took his father and the other prisoners away before sneaking away himself.

* * *

Hakoda glanced up sharply as his cell door was opened. He scowled at the guard that entered.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" the guard exclaimed in relief. He attempted to approach him, but Hakoda quickly entered a defensive stance.

"If you take one step closer, I'll show you just how _okay _I am," he threatened.

"Dad, it's me!" Sokka said, lifting his visor.

"Sokka..." Hakoda whispered. He quickly embraced his son. "My son..." He chuckled. "You know, Sokka, you should be more careful with that guard outfit. I almost punched you in the gut."

"Yeah, I ran into that problem earlier," Sokka chuckled, clutching the bruise Suki had given him. He quickly turned serious once more. "So where's Bato? Where's everybody else?"

"The others are being held in a prison near the Fire Nation palace," Hakoda answered. "They singled me out as their leader and sent me here. But before I left, I met some young women who said they knew you. The Oshanama Fighters?"

"You mean the Kyoshi Warriors?" Sokka asked in amusement.

"That's right," Hakoda laughed. Sokka nodded.

"Their leader Suki is here and she's gonna escape with us," he answered.

"Good," Hakoda nodded. "We'll need all the help we can get."

"And you know Prince Zuko?"

"The son of the Fire Lord?" Hakoda asked, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know him but I know of him."

"Well, he and a couple of his friends are here, too," Sokka replied with a smirk.

"That's going to be a major problem..."

"Actually," Sokka said his smirk widening. "He's on our side now." Hakoda looked at him skeptically. "I know. I had the same reaction. After all he's done it was hard to trust him, but he's really proven himself and I never would have found you without their help."

Hakoda nodded in acceptance. "So, do you have a plan?"

"We had one but some of the other prisoners got involved and ruined it," Sokka muttered. "I don't know if there's another way off this island."

"Sokka, there's not a prison in the world that can hold two Water Tribe geniuses," Hakoda reassured him with a pat on the back.

"Then we better find two," Sokka replied jokingly. Hakoda laughed, prompting Sokka to do the same.

* * *

"This is seriously starting to piss me off," Xhäs remarked as he began counting the number of stains in the room once again.

"We just have to wait," Larxene replied.

"You really think Sokka will be able to get us out?" Xhäs asked.

"Excuse me?" a voice interrupted them. They turned to see Sokka speaking through the bars in the peak-hole. "I take offense to that!"

"Sokka!" the two Nobodies exclaimed in surprise.

"My dad and I came up with a plan," the Water Tribe boy explained. "We're gonna escape on the gondola and we're gonna take a hostage so they won't cut the lines."

"The gondola?" Larxene demanded incredulously. "Did you see how many guards are there?"

"My dad already thought of that, we'll need a distraction, so we'll start a prison riot!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Okay, so let's say this works, and we make it to the gondola," Xhäs said. "The Warden won't care about any guard. He'll just cut the line anyway, even with a captive."

"Not if the Warden _is _the captive!" Sokka said with a grin. He glanced behind him as they all heard someone approaching. "I gotta go, be in the courtyard in an hour. I'll find you guys before we start the riot!"

"Have you told the others?" Xhäs asked. Sokka shook his head.

"I told Zuko, but the guards dragged him away for some reason," he replied. "I need to find Suki, remember, one hour!"

With that he took off down the hallway.

* * *

Zuko struggled as the guards dragged him down a hall. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "Where are you taking me?" They ignored him as they shoved him into a room with a single chair. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"Come on, Zuko, we all know that's a lie," a voice mocked from the shadows. Zuko gasped as a gothic-looking girl appeared from the shadowy corner.

"Mai..." the prince whispered. "How did you know I was here?"

"Because I know you so well," she replied. Zuko looked confused.

"But how..."

"The Warden's my uncle, you idiot," she said, rolling her eyes. She unrolled a piece of parchment, causing Zuko to groan. "I guess the truth is: I don't know you. All I get is a letter? You could have at least looked me in the eye when you ripped out my heart."

"I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't mean to?" Mai repeated, angrily. She began reading the letter. _"Dear Mai. I'm sorry you have to find out this way, but I'm leaving-"_

"Stop," Zuko demanded. "This isn't about you; this is about the Fire Nation."

"Thanks, Zuko, that makes me feel all better," Mai said sarcastically, throwing the letter at his head.

"Mai..." the ex-prince sighed. "I never wanted to hurt you, but I have to do this to save my country."

"Save it?" Mai demanded. "You're betraying your country."

"That's not how I see it," Zuko growled. Mai turned away from him.

* * *

Sokka had just exited Suki's cell after informing her of the plan when suddenly a guard called out to him.

"Hey, you!" he shouted. "The Warden wants to see you!"

"Me?" Sokka asked. "Why?"

"I don't know, I didn't ask."

"Maybe I could schedule a different appointment time with him," Sokka replied, walking away, only for two more guards to grab him by the arms.

"The Warden wants to see you now," one of the guards growled.

They dragged him to the top of one of the guard towers. "Put him in the line up!" the Warden ordered. "One of you is an imposter that thought he could fool me." He gestured behind him and a guard brought Chit Sang, who kept his eyes on the ground. "But now, one of you is going to be in a lot of trouble." Sokka stiffened upon seeing Chit Sang. "Who is it?"

Sokka closed his eyes, waiting to be called out. "That's him, Warden," Chit Sang exclaimed. "He's the imposter!" Sokka's eyes snapped open to see the large man pointing at the very same guard that had thrown him in the Cooler.

"What?" the guard demanded furiously. "I'm not! He's lying! He's a liar!" he shouted as the guards dragged him away. The Warden smirked and followed. Sokka let out a sign of relief as Chit Sang nodded at him.

* * *

"I told you, I didn't do anything!" the guard growled from his confinement.

"Save your breath," the Warden snapped. "You threw Chit Sang into the very same Cooler they used to escape. It was all part your plan."

"That was just a coincidence!" the guard exclaimed as the door to the cell opened behind the Warden.

"Uh, Warden..." another guard said nervously. "There's someone here to see you..."

"Who told you to interrupt me?" the Warden demanded, only for his eyes to widen as he got on his hands and knees.

"I did..." a beautiful girl said from the door way.

"Princess Azula..." the Warden muttered as the princess and her friend entered the cell. "It is an honor to welcome you to the Fire Nation's most exemplary prison. I did not expect you to be coming..."

"Who is this?" the princess asked, gesturing to the 'traitorous' guard.

"He is guard who was involved in a recent and feeble escape attempt," the Warden explained.

"It wasn't me!" the guard shouted desperately.

"Quiet, you!" the Warden growled.

"You're wasting your time," Azula sighed. "That's not one of them."

"How do you know?" the Warden asked in confusion.

"Because I'm people person..." the princess said coldly as she left the cell.

* * *

Sokka quickly approached the guard that was watching over the control room that controlled every cell in the prison. "Hey I just got orders," Sokka said. "Let the prisoners out into the yard."

"But we're in the middle of lockdown," the guard said in confusion.

"Oh, okay," Sokka said walking away. "I'll just go tell the Warden you said that. I'm sure he'll be glad to hear you undermining his authority." He quickly returned and looked at the guard. "What's your name again?"

"Wait, don't tell the Warden!" the guard said nervously. "I'm just a little confused."

"Hey, I'm confused, too," Sokka said with a shrug. "But the Warden's in a bad mood and irrational. So if you ask me, its better not to question it and just do what he says."

"Yeah, you're right," the guard agreed as he began pulling the levers that would release the prisoners. "We're letting them out!"

The prison bells began ringing as every cell was opened. The prisoners muttered among themselves as they made their way into the courtyard. Sokka quickly made his way to the courtyard and found his father, Suki, Xhäs, and Larxene already assembled and waiting for him.

"This is it!" Sokka exclaimed. "We have to start a riot!"

"How exactly do we do that?" Suki asked. Hakoda glanced and saw another group of prisoners nearby.

"I'll show you," he said with a smirk. He ran over and pushed down the largest man.

"Hey!" the man exclaimed. "What'd you do that for? That hurt my feelings!"

"Aren't you mad at me?" Hakoda asked in surprise.

"Well normally I would be," the man admitted. "But I've been learning to control my anger."

Sokka face palmed. "This isn't working..."

"Hey, you!" a voice exclaimed, placing a hand on Sokka's shoulder. They all turned to see it was Chit Sang. "You're lucky I didn't rat you out. But my generosity comes with a price."

"Let me guess, you want in on the new escape plan?" Xhäs asked. He nodded. "We're actually trying it now, but we need a riot."

"You wouldn't know how to start one, would you?" Sokka asked. Chit Sang scoffed.

"A prison riot?" he smirked. He walked away, grabbing a random guy by the shirt and lifting him over his head. "Hey!" he shouted at the other prisoners. "Riot! Riot!"

The other prisoners cheered as they began hurling fireballs into the air and attacking each other.

"Impressive," Hakoda remarked as the others just watched in shock.

From above, the Warden was screaming. "Who let these prisoners into the yard? This is supposed to be a lockdown!"

The guard that opened the cells gulped and slowly crept away.

* * *

"Ma'am!" a guard exclaimed as he burst in on Mai and Zuko. "There's a riot going on outside. I'm here to protect you."

"I don't need any protection," Mai said coldly. Zuko chuckled.

"Believe me, she doesn't," he muttered.

"I'm sorry, but I'm under direct orders from your uncle to make sure nothing happens," the guard replied. Zuko smirked and sent a ball of flames at the guard's feet, causing him to shriek like a small child and leap into Mai's arms. The prince saw this as his chance and took off.

"Get off me!" Mai snarled as she hurled the guard across the room. She turned to see Zuko locking the cell door behind him. The two former lovers stared at each other, one in rage and one in remorse. Zuko closed his eyes and took off to find Sokka and the others.

He quickly found them all huddled away from the fight.

"Zuko!" Sokka exclaimed. "Good, we're all here. Now all we need to do is grab the Warden and get to the gondolas."

"And how do we do that?" Zuko asked.

...

"I'm not sure," Sokka replied, causing everyone to fall over.

"I thought you thought this through!" Zuko shouted.

"I thought you said it's okay not to think everything through!" Sokka shouted back.

"Maybe not everything, but this is kinda important!" Xhäs growled.

"Hey, uh, fellas?" Chit Sang called, catching their attention. "I think your girlfriends are taking care of it."

"Huh?" Sokka asked as they all peaked around the large man. Suki and Larxene were leaping over the fight, using the prisoners' heads as stepping stones.

Larxene leapt forward and ran straight up the wall and gripping the overhang. She held her hand out for Suki who grabbed it and flipped over onto the balcony, using the momentum to bring Larxene with her. They dodged as a guard sent a stream of fire at them. Larxene countered by throwing her knives at the guard, pinning him to the wall. Suki followed up by punching him in the face, knocking him out.

Larxene placed her hands in a 'cup'-like formation. Suki nodded and used the blonde's hands like a spring. She grabbed hold of the balcony railing above and flipped on. The Savage Nymph smirked and ran straight up the wall, using her dominion over electricity to turn the soles of her boots into magnets.

"Look at 'em go," Zuko muttered.

"That's girl power for ya," Xhäs agreed.

The two girls lunged forward, grabbing the Warden's arms. "You wouldn't dare," the Warden growled.

Suki quickly used his wristbands and tied them around his wrists while Larxene grabbed his headband and used it as a gag.

"Sorry, Warden," Suki said sarcastically.

"You're our prisoner now," Larxene said with a smirk. She turned to the boys down below, who were still gaping at them. "Let's get out of here!"

The males quickly snapped out of their daze and took off towards the gondolas. "Those are some girls you boys have," Hakoda chuckled.

"Tell me about it," Sokka said dreamily. Xhäs merely looked at them in confusion.

They reached the gondola platform at the same time the girls did.

"We're almost there!" Larxene exclaimed as she handed the Warden to Chit Sang. The guards spotted them and quickly sent a ball of fire at them. Zuko pushed through them and dispelled the flames.

"Back off, we've got the Warden!" the prince shouted. The guards reluctantly lowered their stance and moved aside. Zuko nodded. "Let's go!"

The group moved forward, watching the guards warily. "Everyone in!" Suki said, as they reached the gondolas. Zuko pulled the lever and the gondola began moving. The prince began kicking the lever in an attempt to break it off.

"Hurry up, Zuko!" Xhäs shouted. The prince redoubled his efforts and the lever flew off. Moving quickly, he leapt off the platform towards the gondola. Sokka reached out and grabbed his arm. He and Xhäs quickly pulled the prince inside.

"What were you doing?" Sokka demanded.

"I was making it so they can't stop us," the prince replied.

"Way to think ahead," Larxene complimented.

"We're on our way," Suki said happily.

"Wait," Hakoda said, pointing down at the platform. "Who's that?"

They turned to see Azula and her friend, Ty Lee staring straight at them.

"That's a problem," Zuko muttered. "It's my sister and her friend."

Azula quickly grabbed a pair of handcuffs from a nearby guard as Ty Lee leapt onto the wire that held up the gondola. The girl began running down the length of the wire with practiced ease as Azula attached the handcuffs to the wire and used Firebending to accelerate forward. Xhäs noticed in surprise that her flames were a bright blue, rather than orange or red.

"What's with her Firebending?" Xhäs asked Zuko.

"She's a Firebending prodigy," he answered. "Her flames are a sign of her skill and power."

"This is a rematch I've been waiting for," Suki growled.

"Me, too..." Zuko agreed.

"Well this should be interesting," Larxene whispered to Xhäs.

"Let's go," Xhäs muttered as he, Larxene, Suki, Zuko and Sokka climbed on top of the gondola. They watched as Ty Lee and Azula landed on either side of them. Zuko, Sokka and Xhäs faced Azula while Suki and Larxene faced Ty Lee.

Azula acted first, sending a blast of flame, which Zuko dispelled instantly. Xhäs reacted quickly, sending a blade of light at her. Azula dodged to the side, not sure what to make of the attack. She sent a bout of flames at him in warning.

On the other side of the gondola, it was Suki that had the first move. She lunged at Ty Lee with a quick punch, which was deftly blocked. Suki continued her assault, forcing Ty Lee to dodge backwards. The girl in pink leapt over Suki, landing in front of a waiting Larxene. The blonde girl sent a roundhouse the sent the other girl flying into the main beam of the gondola.

Xhäs dodged Azula's flames and charged forward with Sokka.

Down below, the Warden managed to free his wrists and quickly removed his gag. "Cut the line!" he shouted. Chit Sang quickly grabbed him.

"He wants us to cut the line," a guard said.

"But if we cut the line there's no way he'll survive," another said.

"He knows that..." a third replied. He motioned to another group of guards who began trying to stop the line from moving by jamming it.

Xhäs and Sokka stopped their charge as the gondola began shaking violently. Ty Lee leapt onto the wire and glanced down at the guards.

"They're about to cut the line!" she shouted. Azula glanced back to see the guards using a saw to cut the wire. Something caught her eye as she glanced upward to see another gondola coming towards the prison. She smirked.

"Then it's time to leave," she announced. She quickly used her Firebending as a jetpack and landed on the other gondola. Ty Lee leapt on as well. "Good-bye, Zuko,"

The group quickly jumped back into the gondola. "They're cutting the line!" Zuko exclaimed to Hakoda. "The gondola's about to go!"

"I hope this thing floats," Hakoda said grimly.

The guards had nearly cut through the wire when they suddenly found themselves pinned to the wall by knives. "What are you doing?" a guard demanded.

Mai looked at him emotionlessly. "Saving the jerk who dumped me," She quickly used her knives to immobilize the other guards before un-jamming the wire, allowing the gondola to keep moving.

Sokka glanced down at the platform as the gondola resumed moving. "Who's that?"

"It's Mai!" Zuko gasped.

"What is she doing?" Azula demanded angrily. Ty Lee shrugged as she turned to see Zuko's gondola reach the other side.

The group wasted no time in getting off the gondola. Chit Sang threw the Warden back inside as he stepped off.

"Sorry, Warden," Hakoda cracked. "Your record is officially broken."

"Well, we made it out, now what?" Suki asked as they began running from the volcano. Xhäs and Sokka glanced back to see Zuko staring at the prison sadly.

"Zuko, what are you doing?" Sokka demanded.

"My sister was on that island," the prince responded.

"Yeah, and she's probably right behind us, so let's not stop!" the Water Tribe boy exclaimed.

"What I'm trying to say is she must have come here somehow!" Zuko replied. He ran to the ledge and looked down. "There! That's our way out of here!"

The group looked down to see a large war balloon docked below.

* * *

Azula and Ty Lee watched as a guard dragged Mai before them. "Leave us," she ordered as the guards left. "I never expected this from you..." Ty Lee glanced at each of them in concern. "The only thing I don't understand is: Why? Why would you do it? You know the consequences."

"I guess you don't know people as well as you think you do," Mai replied. "You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you."

Azula snapped. "No, YOU miscalculated!" she snarled. "You should have feared me more!"

The princess raised her arms to send a blast of fire at the goth girl, as Mai prepared her knives. As Azula lashed out, Ty Lee leapt forward, jabbing at various pressure points, leaving Azula immobile.

"Come on!" Ty Lee urged Mai. "Let's get out of here!"

Before they could move, they found themselves surrounded by guards.

"You're both fools!" Azula shouted from the ground as two guards picked her up.

"What shall we do with them, Princess?" a guard asked as they dragged the two girls forward.

"Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces _again_!" she snarled. "And let them _rot_!"

Ty Lee and Mai both avoided her gaze as they were dragged away.

* * *

It was nightfall by the time the gang returned to the Western Air Temple. Needless to say, the others were shocked as they saw Sokka, Zuko, Xhäs and Larxene disembark from a Fire Nation war balloon.

"What are you guys doing in this thing?" Katara demanded. "What happened to the war balloon."

"It kinda got destroyed," Xhäs said.

"Sounds like a crazy fishing trip," Aang remarked.

"Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asked.

"I did," Sokka exclaimed. "The best meat of all. The meat of friendship and fatherhood."

Everyone's jaw dropped as Suki, Hakoda and Chit Sang stepped off the balloon.

"I'm new," Chit Sang said. "What's up, everybody?"

"Dad..." Katara whispered, her eyes growing misty.

"Hi, Katara..." Hakoda said softly as he embraced his daughter.

"How are you here?" Katara asked. She turned to Sokka and the others. "What's going on? Where did you go?"

"We kinda went to a Fire Nation prison," Sokka said offhandedly. Hakoda grabbed his son and the family shared a group hug. Everyone smiled at the scene until...

"Seriously, you guys didn't find _any _meat?" Toph asked. Everyone laughed at her.


	15. The Southern Raiders

It was early morning at the Western Air Temple. As usual, Aang was the first one up. He stretched and just enjoyed the sounds of morning. The birds were singing, the badger-frogs were croaking, there was an explosive device about to hit them... wait...

Aang reacted just in time and sent a blast of air at the object, causing it to explode in midair. This of course woke the other residents of the temple from their sleepy stupor as more explosives began bombarding the temple. Everyone watched as several large war balloons rose up from the fog. Aang retreated back to the others, Airbending the metallic shutters of the temple closed.

The bombardment continued, causing the ceiling to begin caving in. Zuko saw a portion of the ceiling about to fall on Katara and lunged toward her.

"Watch out!" he shouted as he tackled her out of the way.

"What are you doing?" the Waterbender demanded.

"Keeping rocks from crushing you," Zuko replied dryly.

"Okay, I'm not crushed, you can get off me now!" she growled as she pushed him away and stood.

"I'll take that as a thank you," the prince muttered. Toph and Haru Earthbended a large escape tunnel near the rear of the temple.

"Come on, we can get out through here!" the girl shouted. Everyone entered the tunnel. Aang began pulling Appa toward the tunnel as well when he spotted Zuko, Xhäs and Larxene standing to the side.

"What are you doing?" Aang shouted.

"Go ahead!" Zuko replied. "We'll hold them off!" To Xhäs and Larxene he muttered, "I think this is family business..." With that the three of them rushed outside.

"No!" Aang shouted as Sokka and Katara ran up to him.

"Come on, we gotta get out of here!" Sokka exclaimed as Katara grabbed Appa's reins. The three of them began pulling the Sky Bison together.

Xhäs summoned his Keyblades as Larxene did the same with her knives. Zuko sent a ball of fire at one of the war balloon, but did little damage. The trio stiffened as they saw Azula on the platform of the largest warship.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded.

"You mean it's not obvious yet?" she mocked. "I'm about to celebrate becoming an only child!" With that she sent a large blast of flames at them. Xhäs quickly put of a shield of light, causing the fireball to explode on contact with the shield, creating a large plume of smoke.

"The temple can't take much more of this!" Xhäs exclaimed. Zuko growled and charged through the smoke. The two Nobodies quickly followed him as the temple began collapsing on itself. They used one of the fallen support beams to get close and leapt at Azula's balloon. Zuko fired several bouts of flames at his sister, each of them either hitting the ship or missing outright.

Unfortunately, the ship lurched out of the way, causing the three to fall into the fog below.

Back in the temple, Aang, Katara and Sokka tried in vain to get Appa into the tunnel. "I can't get him to go in there!" Aang shouted. "Appa hates tunnels!"

"Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here!" Katara exclaimed.

"We'll have to find a way," Aang replied.

"We'll need to split up," Sokka said. He turned to the others within the tunnel. "Get through the tunnel and use the stolen airship!"

"No!" Katara shouted. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family again!"

"It'll be okay," Hakoda reassured her. "It's not forever."

Katara hugged her father one last time before joining Aang. Sokka did likewise, taking Suki with him. Toph 'looked' at the rubble that blocked their way. "I can clear that out and we can fly out there!"

"Um," Suki began. "There's an awful lot of fire in that general direction."

"We'll get through," Aang said in determination. "Let's go."

With that, Team Avatar burst through the rubble and into the chaos outside. Azula immediately sent two balls of fire at them. Toph, reacting quickly, used the rubble to create an earth shield and blocked the flames.

Azula smirked, but quickly stiffened. She turned to see another warship rising next to hers. Zuko glared at her defiantly, Xhäs and Larxene on either side. The trio leapt onto her ship, Zuko firing a stream of flames her way. Azula deflected the fire and immediately countered with a flame of her own.'

Meanwhile Aang directed Appa as they weaved through the war balloons while Azula's Firebenders continuously attempted to bring them down.

Zuko charged forward, dispelling Azula's fire. The two siblings met in the center, each had flames encircling their fists.

_BOOM!_

The two attacks met, causing a violet explosion, sending either sibling flying off the edge of the balloon.

"Zuko!" Xhäs shouted as he dived after him. Larxene did likewise. The Nobodies grabbed a hold of the prince, just as Appa swooped down and caught them.

They watched as Azula used her Firebending as a jetpack once more. She quickly drew a knife and embedded it into the canyon wall. She glared at them coolly as they flew away.

* * *

The GAang had set up several tents for the night as they camped out far away from the temple.

"Camping, wow it really feels like old times again, doesn't it?" Aang asked.

"If you really want it to feel like old times I could chase you around a while and try to capture you," Zuko offered. The others laughed at this. Everyone but Katara, that is.

"Ha ha..." she muttered sarcastically.

"To Zuko," Sokka said, raising his drink. "Who knew after all the times he tried to snuff us out, he'd be our hero?"

"Hear hear!" Everyone sans Katara cheered, much to Zuko's embarrassment.

"I'm touched," Zuko muttered. "I don't deserve this..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Katara growled, walking away. Everyone watched her leave.

"What's with her?" Sokka asked.

"I wish I knew," Zuko said before following after her.

"What's with _him_?" Sokka asked again.

* * *

Zuko found Katara by the cliffs overlooking the sea. The full moon hung high in the sky.

"This isn't fair," Zuko said as Katara refused to look at him. "Everyone seems to trust me now. What is it with you?"

She whipped around, fury in her eyes. "Oh, everyone trusts you now?" she snapped. "I was the first person to trust you, remember? Back in Ba Sing Se! And you turned around and betrayed me. Betrayed all of us!"

"What can I do to make it up to you?" Zuko asked after a few moments.

"You really wanna know?" Katara asked getting up in Zuko's face. "Maybe you could re-conquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King? Or, I know! You could bring my mother back!"

With that she stormed past him and back to the others. After a while Zuko followed her. He stopped when he felt someone nearby. "Did you hear all that, Xhäs?" Zuko asked. Xhäs nodded as he leaned against a large boulder. "What should I do?"

"Why don't we ask Sokka?" Xhäs suggested. "He'll know more about his sister than anyone."

Zuko nodded and the two of them made their way back. By the time he got back to camp, everyone was already in their tents. Everyone except one person...

"Suki?" Zuko asked as she bumped into him.

"Oops," she giggled nervously. "Wrong tent."

"Sorry," Zuko muttered as she walked away. "Do you need to talk to Sokka, too?"

"Uh, nope!" she said hastily. "Not me!" With that she quickly walked away. Zuko looked at Xhäs and shrugged. The two entered Sokka's tent... to see Sokka, surrounded by candles, a rose in his mouth, in a rather provocative pose.

"Well hello-" Sokka began before inhaling the rose in shock. "Uh, Zuko, Xhäs, yes! Why would I be expecting anyone different?" He got into a more casual pose as he reluctantly swallowed the flower. "So... uh... what's on your mind?"

"Your sister, she hates me," Zuko said, attempting to get the previous image out of his mind. "And I don't know why! But I don't care what she thinks of me..."

"Nah, she doesn't _hate _you, Katara doesn't _hate _anymore," Sokka assured him. "Except maybe some people in the Fire Nation." he blanched. "No! I mean, not people who are good but used to be bad! I mean _bad _people. Fire Nation people who are _still _bad, who have _never _been good and probably won't be _ever_-"

"Okay, stop," Xhäs sighed. "Listen, this may seem out of nowhere, but... I want you to tell us what happened to your mother."

"What?" Sokka asked in surprise. "Why would you wanna know about that?"

"Katara mentioned it before when we were imprisoned together in Ba Sing Se," Zuko explained. "And again just now when she was yelling at me. I think somehow, she's connected her anger about that... to her anger at me!"

Sokka sighed. "It's not a day I like to remember," he began quietly. "Many of the warriors had seen the black snow before, and they knew what it meant... a Fire Nation raid. We were badly outnumbered, but somehow we managed to drive them off. As quickly as they came... they just left. I was so relieved when it was over, but... that's because I didn't know yet what had happened. I didn't know we'd lost our mother."

"Wait," Zuko said. "Can you remember any details about the soldiers that raided your village? Like what the lead ship looked like?"

"Yeah..." Sokka said thoughtfully. "Sea Ravens. Their lead ship had flags with Sea Ravens on them."

"The symbol of the Southern Raiders," Zuko said in realization. "Thanks, Sokka."

"No problem," Sokka said as he pushed them both out. "Thanks for stoppin' by!" Once they were gone he sighed. "Thought they'd never leave..." he rubbed his hands together and poked his head out of the tent."Suki!"

Xhäs and Zuko stared at him awkwardly, causing Sokka to start whistling and retreat inside his tent.

* * *

The next morning Katara exited her tent to see Zuko and Xhäs sitting outside. It looked as though Zuko hadn't slept at all last night. Xhäs was napping next to him.

"You look terrible," she commented as she began brushing her hair.

"We waited out here all night," the prince admitted.

"What do you want?" Katara asked.

"We know who killed your mother," Zuko responded. She glanced at him sharply as he prodded Xhäs awake. "And we're going to help you find him."

"Who was it?" Katara demanded.

Xhäs yawned as he stretched. "Group called the Southern Raiders,"

"We'll need to ask Aang to borrow Appa," Zuko said. Katara nodded stiffly.

They found the Avatar feeding his bison not too far from camp. Sokka sat nearby fiddling with something. "I need to borrow Appa," Katara told him.

"Why, is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko and Xhäs?" Aang asked jokingly.

"Yes, it is." Katara replied stiffly.

"Oh," Aang said in surprise. "What's going on?"

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me," the Waterbender explained impatiently.

"Sokka told us the story about what happened," Xhäs told them. "Who did it and Zuko says he knows how to find him."

"Um, and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?" Aang asked uneasily.

"Ugh, I knew you wouldn't understand," Katara muttered, walking away.

"Wait," Aang pleaded. "I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the Sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?"

"She needs this, Aang," Zuko insisted. "This is about getting closure and justice."

"I don't think so," Aang disagreed. "I think this is about getting revenge."

"Fine!" Katara spat. "Maybe it is. Maybe it's what I need. Maybe that's what he deserves."

"Katara," Aang said softly. "You sound like Jet..."

"It's not the same!" she denied. "Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster!"

"Katara, she was my mother, too!" Sokka argued, finally getting himself involved. "But I think Aang might be right."

"Then you didn't love her the way I did!" Katara accused.

"Katara..." Sokka said, hurt.

Aang closed his eyes. "The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed Rat-Viper," he recounted. "While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

"That's cute," Zuko remarked sarcastically. "But this isn't Air Temple pre-school. It's the real world."

"Now that I know he's out there," Katara said lowly. "Now that I know we can find him... I feel like I have no choice."

"Katara," Aang tried one last time. "You do have a choice: forgiveness."

"That's the same as doing nothing," Xhäs exclaimed.

"No it's not," Aang disagreed. "It's _easy _to do nothing. But it's _hard _to forgive."

"It's not just hard," Katara muttered. "It's impossible."

With that she stormed away.

Later that night, Katara, Zuko and Xhäs approached Appa. Katara and Zuko were wearing black clothing similar to that of a ninja, while Xhäs simply used his Organization cloak.

"So you were just going to take Appa anyway?" a voice demanded from behind them.

"Yes," she said, not looking at Aang.

"It's okay, because I forgive you," Aang replied. "That give you any ideas?"

"Don't try to stop us," Katara said as she helped Xhäs with the supplies.

Aang shook his head. "I wasn't planning to," he said. "This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man. But when you do, please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out... and then let it go. Forgive him."

"Oookay," Zuko said sarcastically as they mounted the Sky Bison. "We'll be sure to do that Guru Goody-Goody!"

"Thanks for understanding, Aang," Katara said. "Yip yip!" The Bison took off into the air. Sokka and Aang watched them go.

"You know, you're pretty wise for a kid," Sokka complimented.

"Thanks, Sokka,"

"Usually it's annoying but right now, I'm just impressed!" Sokka continued.

"I appreciate that," Aang replied dryly.

"So can I borrow Momo for a week?"

Aang looked at him strangely. "Why do you need Momo?"

Sokka shrugged.

* * *

"We need to find a Fire Nation communication tower," Zuko informed his companions. "All the navy's movements are coordinated by messenger hawk and every tower has to be up to date on where everyone is deployed."

"So once we find this communication tower, we bust in and take the info we need," Katara nodded.

"Not exactly," Zuko said, shaking his head. "We need to be stealthy and make sure no one spots us. Otherwise, they'll warn the Southern Raiders long before we reach them."

It wasn't long before they found the tower they were searching for. Zuko and Katara covered their faces with black bandanas while Xhäs pulled his hood up.

"You know that thing's kinda creepy," Zuko commented to Xhäs. The Nobody's face couldn't be seen whatsoever. It was like looking into a veil of darkness.

"Thanks?" Xhäs said uncertainly.

"Stay on task!" Katara hissed. She quickly used Waterbending to create an ice bridge onto the tower before. Once they reached their destination, she reverted it to liquid form. They waited as two guards left the tower, leaving the door wide open.

"Idiots," Xhäs muttered as they dashed in through the open door.

"In here," Zuko whispered, pointing to the ventilation shaft. The trio entered the shaft and crawled through until they came across the room where the tower's records were stored. Unfortunately, there was a guard there, creating a map of the surrounding area.

Katara waved her hand, causing the ink she was using to spill onto the paper and the guard's hand. The bewildered guard left to wash her hands, giving the trio the perfect opportunity to check the records.

Zuko quickly found the correct map and hastily opened it. "Here," he said, pointing out a red dot. "On patrol near Whale Tail Island."

"Whale Tail Island, here we come..." Katara muttered harshly as they quickly left the same way they came.

* * *

It was dawn when Zuko awoke. He saw Xhäs sitting next to him.

"She hasn't slept all night," he muttered. Zuko looked up to see Katara in the exact same position she was in when they left the communication tower, steering Appa.

"You should get some rest," Zuko said. "We'll be there in a couple hours. You'll need all your strength."

"Oh, don't you worry about my strength," Katara muttered. "I have plenty. I'm not the helpless little girl I was when they came..." She wiped her eyes. "He had her cornered... She told me to run... so I did... I ran as fast as I could. I ran and got my dad... But then we were too late. When we got there, the man was gone... and so was she..."

"Your mother was a brave woman," Xhäs said. Katara fingered the necklace she wore.

"I know."

* * *

It was not long before Katara finally caved in and allowed Zuko to take the reins while she rested. It was nightfall by the time they reached their destination.

"There!" Zuko shouted, catching both Xhäs's and Katara's attention. "See those Sea Raven flags? It's the Southern Raiders."

"Let's do this," Katara said coldly. Appa dived underwater, Katara creating an air pocket for them to breathe. Katara created a tentacle of water and used it to fling a random soldier off the ship. This served as a distraction, as Appa surfaced on the opposite side while Katara created a large wave and sent it crashing down on the remaining soldiers.

The trio quickly entered the interior of the ship and came upon the captain's bridge.

"This is it, Katara," Zuko said. "Are you ready to face him?"

Instead of answering, she blasted the door down with a powerful surge of water. Xhäs stepped forward, using his Keyblades to deflect several blasts of fire.

"Who are you?" the captain demanded.

"You don't remember her?" Xhäs asked. "You will soon."

The captain attempted to Firebend at them, but suddenly stopped. "What's... happening to me?" he demanded as his body began moving erratically.

"What the...?" Xhäs asked. He turned to see that Katara was controlling the captain's movements somehow. She forced him to the ground.

"Think back," Zuko said. "Think back to your last raid on the Southern Water Tribe."

"I don't know what you're talking about," the captain exclaimed. "Please... I don't know."

"Don't lie!" Zuko shouted. "You look her in the eye and tell me you don't remember what you did!"

Katara forced the captain to his knees and glared into his eyes. The two stared at each other before Katara slowly back away.

"It's not him..." she stopped whatever it was she was doing to control him."He's not the man..."

"What?" Zuko demanded. "What do you mean he's not? He's the leader of the Southern Raiders!"

"Remember, this was years ago, Zuko," Xhäs said. Zuko growled in frustration. He grabbed the captain and pinned him to the wall.

"If you're not the man we're looking for, then who is?" he prince demanded.

"You must be looking for Yon Rha!" the captain exclaimed. "He retired four years ago!"

Zuko and Xhäs glanced back to see Katara clenching her fist. It appeared they still had work to do...

* * *

In the outskirts of a peaceful village, an old man kneeled in the garden. What was he doing? _Gardening_. That is, until an even _older _woman stepped out of the house and began shrieking.

"Yon Rha, you lazy piece of work," the woman shouted. "I need something."

The man sighed. "Yes, mother..." he muttered."What is it?"

"The tomato-carrots from your garden are too hard for my gums," the woman said. "I need something soft and juicy!"

"Would you like something else from the garden?" Yon Rha asked. "I would be happy to-"

"FORGET YOUR STINKING GARDEN!" the woman foamed. "GET YOUR GRIMEY HINEY TO THE MARKET AND BUY ME SOME REAL FOOD!"

And so, ignoring the storm that was forming, Yon Rha sighed, grabbed a basket and began his trek to the market. As he shopped, he couldn't help but feel someone was watching him. He swiftly turned around, but no one was there.

"Hello?" he called. He turned to the store owner. "Did you see someone?" The man shook his head.

Later, as Yon Rha walked home, he couldn't help but have the feeling that someone was following him. "Hello?" he called again. "Is someone there?" he frowned and continued his walk. Katara, Xhäs and Zuko glanced from behind a boulder.

"That was him," Katara muttered. "That was the monster..."

It began raining as the trio continued following Yon Rha. Finally, the old man had enough.

"Nobody sneaks up on me without getting burned!" he shouted as he sent a blast of flame at a bush. Frowning, he began picking up the vegetables he had dropped. He attempted to continue on his way, but tripped over a trip wire. He jumped back as a fireball nearly collided with his face. He looked up to see a young man standing before him.

"We weren't behind the bush," Zuko said. "And I _wouldn't _try Firebending again!"

"Whoever you are, take my money, take whatever you want," Yon Rha pleaded as Katara and Xhäs approached him. "I'll cooperate."

Katara removed her mask and glared down at the man. "Do you know who I am?" she demanded.

"No... I'm not sure..."

"Oh, you better remember me like your life depends on it!" Katara shouted. "Why don't you take a closer look?"

Yon Rha took more time to study her face before his eyes widened. "Yes... yes! I remember you now!" he exclaimed. "You're the little Water Tribe girl!"

_"You heard your mother, get out of here!" a younger Yon Rha shouted at the girl._

_"Mom, I'm scared," the girl whimpered._

_"Go find your dad, sweetie," the woman said with a smile. "I'll handle this."_

_As the girl left, he turned back to the woman. "Now tell me," he said lowly. "Who is it? Who is the Waterbender?"_

_"There are no Waterbenders here," the woman said. "The Fire Nation took them all away a long time ago."_

_"You're lying," he stated. "My source tells me there's still one Waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe. We're not leaving until we find the Waterbender!"_

_"I-If I tell you, do you promise to leave the rest of the village alone?" she asked. Yon Rha nodded. "It's me. Take me as your prisoner."_

_Yon Rha smirked. "I'm afraid I'm not taking prisoners today."_

"She lied to you!" Katara shouted. "She was protecting the last Waterbender."

"What?" Yon Rha asked in shock. "Who?"

Katara whirled on him. "ME!" She stopped the rain and forced it to stand still, as though frozen in time. She then turned it all into one gigantic ball of water and sent it all crashing down on Yon Rha... in the form of ice spears.

Yon Rha cried out as he covered his face and waited... Nothing came. He opened his eyes to see the spears just inches away from his face. Katara closed her eyes and the spears turned to water once more and crashed down on the broken man before them.

The old man quickly got on his hands and knees. "I did a bad thing," he said desperately. "I know I did, and you deserve revenge. So why don't you take _my _mother? That would be fair!"

"I've always wondered what kind of person could do such a thing," Katara said lowly. "But now that I see you, I think I understand. There's just nothing inside you. Nothing at all. You're pathetic and sad and empty."

"Please spare me," Yon Rha whimpered.

"But as much as I hate you," Katara said venomously. "I... I just can't do it." Yon Rha looked up hopefully.

Katara shook her head and walked away. Zuko gave the crying man a look of disgust as he walked away. Xhäs took one last pitying look before following as well.

* * *

Zuko, Xhäs and Aang, who they had picked up after Katara requested time alone, found the Waterbender sitting on the edge of a pier. She kicked her feet in the water as she watched the sunset.

"Katara!" Aang exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm doing fine," Katara assured him. Her voice was much lighter now, as though a stone were lifted off her shoulders.

"Zuko and Xhäs told me what you did," the Avatar explained. "Or, rather, what you didn't do. I'm proud of you."

"I _wanted _to do it," Katara said softly. "I wanted to take out all my anger at him... but I couldn't. I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it or if it's because I'm strong enough not to."

"I think we all learned a valuable lesson," Xhäs remarked. "Revenge just isn't the way to go."

"You did the right thing," Aang agreed. "Forgiveness is the first step you have to take to begin healing."

Katara stood and faced them. "But I didn't forgive him," she denied closing her eyes. "I'll never forgive him." She smiled at Zuko. "But I am ready to forgive you," With that she hugged the prince with a smile before walking away towards the others who were waiting by Appa.

"You were right about what Katara needed," Zuko said to Aang. "Violence wasn't the answer."

"It never is," Aang said.

"Then I have a question for you," the prince said grimly. "What are you gonna do when you face my father?"

Aang, speechless, could only turn away in uncertainty.


	16. I'm Not a Woman!

Xhäs and Larxene sat with Toph and Katara was they watched Zuko and Aang practice Firebending. After Katara's 'field trip', the Zuko had offered them sanctuary on his family's vacation home on a place called Ember Island. Of course, Larxene had been quite upset with Xhäs for taking off without telling her anything. This resulted in Xhäs retorting that he did not need to be coddled. Things went on back and forth until the blonde finally conceded defeat.

The two Firebending practitioners finally stopped their training and bowed to each other.

"Isn't it weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara asked.

"I told you," Zuko said, wiping the sweat off with a towel. "My father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy and that was a long time ago. It's the last place anyone would think to look for us."

Suddenly Sokka came charging into the courtyard. "You guys are not gonna believe this!" he exclaimed as Suki came into view behind him. "There's a play about us."

"We were just in town when we found this poster!" Suki added as Sokka showed them a poster of Katara, Aang and Sokka with Zuko looming over them ominously.

"What?" Katara asked incredulously. "How is that possible?"

"Listen to this," Sokka said as he began reading. "The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from a claimed playwright Pu-on Tim who scoured the globe for information on the Avatar from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage."

"Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players," Suki finished as Sokka rolled the poster up.

"Ugh!" Zuko groaned, catching everyone's attention. "My mother used to take me to see them!"

"They any good?" Xhäs asked. The prince shook his head vehemently.

"They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year!" he said with a shudder.

"Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea to attend a play about ourselves?" Katara asked.

"Come on, a day at the theater?" Sokka begged. "This is exactly the kind of wacky nonsense I've been missing!"

It was decided. They would attend this "Boy in the Iceberg" and see how close the sources were to reality.

"I have a feeling this is gonna be good," Larxene whispered to Xhäs as the group prepared to attend the play.

* * *

Later that night, the GAang managed to snag balcony seats high enough that they wouldn't be noticed in case there was anyone there that would recognize them.

Zuko wore a red cloak to avoid anyone recognizing his scar while Aang wore a strange hat to conceal his arrow tattoos. The Avatar was about to sit next to Katara when Zuko took the seat instead, making it from left to right: Toph, Katara, Zuko, Aang. Sokka and Suki sat behind them with Xhäs and Larxene.

"Hey," Aang said nervously. "I wanted to sit there."

"Just sit next to me," Zuko said, raising an eyebrow. "What's the big deal?"

"I was just- er, I wanted to..." Aang stuttered. He stopped as he noticed everybody staring at him. He quickly sat down. "Nothing."

"Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section?" Toph inquired. "My feet can't see a thing from up here!"

"Don't worry, I'll tell your feet what's happening," Katara assured her. Just then the lights dimmed and the curtain lifted to reveal two actors rowing a boat.

(Actors will be in **bold**)

Katara smiled upon realizing it was her and Sokka. She felt a hand on her shoulder to see Sokka beaming excitedly.

**Katara** let out a drawn out sigh. "Sokka, my only brother," she said dramatically. "We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything... fulfilling!"

"All I want is a full feeling in my stomach!" **Sokka** exclaimed. "I'm starving!"

At this the audience burst out laughing. Xhäs and Larxene were amongst them. "Not too far off the mark!" Larxene laughed. Sokka sent her a glare, which the blonde responded to by raising an eyebrow. The Water Tribe boy quickly averted his gaze to the stage once again.

"Is food the only thing on your mind?" **Katara **asked.

"Well I'm trying to get it out of my mind, and _into_ my mouth!" **Sokka** cracked once again. "I'm starving!"

The real Sokka let out a growl. "This is pathetic!" he exclaimed. "My jokes are way funnier than this!"

Toph let out a giggle. "I think he's got you pegged!"

**Katara **sighed once again. "Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears!" she exclaimed. "Still, we cannot give up hope!" **Katara** began sniffling. "For hope... is all we have! And we must never relinquish it! Even- even to our dying breath!" At this the actor began sobbing.

"That's just silly!" the real Katara grumbled as her friends began snickering at the performance. "As if I sound like that!"

"Oh, man!" Toph laughed. "This writer's a genius!"

Suddenly a spotlight shone down onto the stage, illuminating a figure trapped inside a rather poor cardboard cutout of an iceberg.

"It appears to be someone frozen is ice!" **Katara** explained. "Perhaps for a hundred years!"

"But who? **Sokka** asked. "Who is the boy in the iceberg?"

Aang leaned forward in excitement.

"I wouldn't get too excited if I were you, Aang," Xhäs advised. "The way this play's going, it's all downhill from here."

"It can't be that bad," Aang said optimistically.

"Waterbend!" **Katara** exclaimed, performing a rather pathetic karate chop in the air. The 'iceberg' 'broke in half' and a figure leapt out from the smoke. A teenage girl wearing a bald cap winked at them.

"What!" Aang exclaimed incredulously. The rest of the GAang burst into a fit of the giggles.

"W-What did I tell you?" Xhäs asked, wiping a tear out of his eye.

**Katara **gazed upon the girl playing Aang in astonishment. "Who are you, frozen boy?"

**Aang **let out a high-pitched and rather girlish giggle. "I'm the Avatar, silly!" she exclaimed, doing a twirl. "Here to spread joy and fun!"

"Looks like I was wrong," Aang said sullenly as the others burst into laughter again. "It _is _that bad."

Suddenly a giant puppet appeared from behind the iceberg. **Appa** ran around the stage making some rather annoying noises, and acting more like a chihuahua than a bison. **Katara** gasped. "An Airbender!" she exclaimed. "My heart is so full of hope, it's making me... Tearbend!" she grabbed onto **Aang's** leg and began sobbing.

"My stomach is _sooo _empty, it's making _me _Tearbend!" **Sokka** exclaimed as he latched onto **Aang's** other leg and began sobbing as well. "I need meat!"

**Aang **let out an exaggerated gasp and pointed offstage. "But wait!" he/she exclaimed. "Is that a platter of meaty dumplings?"

By this point the real Aang was banging his head against the railing.

"WHERE?" **Sokka **demanded. The girl playing Aang began giggling.

"Did I mention I'm an incurable prankster?" she asked, crossing her legs in a very feminine manner.

"I don't do that!" Aang exclaimed. "That's not what I'm like! And I'm _not _a woman!"

Toph and Larxene were laughing at the Avatar's expense. "Oh, they nailed you Twinkletoes!"

The group returned their attention to the stage as a steam boat appeared.

"Prince Zuko, you _must _try this cake," **Iroh **insisted, lifting a platter towards his fellow actor, who was currently looking through a telescope.

"I don't have time to stuff my face!" **Zuko** snarled. "I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!"

"Well, while you do that, maybe _I'll _capture another slice!" **Iroh **said before stuffing his face.

"You sicken me," **Zuko** said in disgust.

The real Zuko wrinkled his nose at the performance. "They made me look stiff and humorless!"

"Actually, I think _that _actors pretty spot on," Katara teased.

"I gotta agree with that," Xhäs chuckled.

"How could you say that?" Zuko demanded.

**Iroh** approached **Zuko**. "Let's forget about the Avatar, and get massages!"

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?" the actor screamed in return.

Zuko's eye twitched as Katara and Xhäs smirked at him.

* * *

**Aang** glanced around as something rustled in the 'bushes'. "Hey, I think I found something!" she tip-toed into the brush and returned with a puppet on her shoulder. "Look, I found a flying rabbit-monkey! I think I'll name him Momo!" she exclaimed with a giggle. She began moving the puppet's mouth and spoke out of the corner of her mouth. "Hi, everybody! I love you!"

"Ugh," the real Aang grunted as the audience below them laughed.

* * *

The actor **Suki** went through a series of katas, only to be interrupted by a cross-dressing **Sokka** in a Kyoshi Warrior outfit. "Does this dress make me look fat?" he asked, bending over.

Suki giggled as her boyfriend blushed heavily in anger and embarrassment.

* * *

They watched as the actors playing them met King Bumi and stole a Waterbending scroll, the performance getting progressively getting worse and worse. Katara was getting pissed over how her character went on and on about hope, while bursting into tears.

"The Avatar is mine!" **Zuko** shouted as **Aang** was bound by ropes. "Wait, who's coming?"

"I am the Blue Spirit!" an actor wearing a giant mask said as he waddled onto the stage. "Scourge of the Fire Nation, here to save the Avatar!

They watched as the actors that played guards collapsed one by one without being touched. **Zuko** threw a red ribbon that was apparently supposed to be 'Firebending'. The Blue Spirit simply stepped back and **Zuko** ran off the stage.

"My hero!" **Aang** cried as she suddenly (and somehow) freed herself from the ropes and jumped down onto the Blue Spirit's shoulders. Together they walked offstage.

Zuko and Aang shared a slightly disturbed look that no one else noticed.

* * *

**Katara** wept for no apparent reason as she and **Jet** were lowered down from a rope.

"Don't worry, BABY!"** Jet** said, holding her close. "I'll take out that nasty town for YOU!"

With that he snapped his fingers and several actors carrying a 'wave' took the 'town' away.

"Oh, Jet..." **Katara** said huskily. "You're so..._ bad..."_

Katara sputtered her cheeks red as Toph and Larxene laughed their asses off.

* * *

"Don't go, Yue!" **Sokka** pleaded. "You're the only woman who's ever taken my mind off of food!" With that they kissed. **Sokka** gagged and spat on the stage. "Wait, did you have pickled fish for dinner?"

**Yue** smiled. "Goodbye, Sokka," she said softly. "I have important moon duties to take care of, and yes, I _did _have pickled fish."

Suki giggled. "You never told me you made out with the moon spirit," she teased as Sokka watched with tears in his eyes.

"SHHH!" he hushed, crying silently. "I'm trying to watch!"

Suki did not like that, and with a 'hmph' she turned away from him.

* * *

**Aang**, wearing a rather humorous suit that apparently represented some kind of water monster began destroying toy ships and waving around a Zhao plushy. "The Avatar is back to save the day!" she cried as she destroyed another ship. Unfortunately, this caused her to lose her balance and she fell flat on her face.

The stagehands chose this moment to lower the curtains as intermission began.

"UGH!" Aang moaned as Zuko put his hood back up.

"So far, this intermission is the best part of the play," Zuko said in relief as they all stepped out of the box.

"Apparently, the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!" Sokka grumbled as he snacked on some jerky.

"Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics," Suki said with a smirk.

"I know!" Sokka agreed, not quite catching that she was making fun of him.

"At least the Sokka actor kinda looks like you," Aang said. "That woman playing the Avatar doesn't resemble me at all!"

"I don't know," Toph quipped. "You are more in touch with your feminine side than other guys."

Aang growled at her, prompting Katara to comfort him. "Relax, Aang," she said. "They're not accurate portrayals. It's not like I'm a preachy crybaby who can't resist giving over emotional speeches about hope all the time." She stopped when she realized everyone was staring at her. "What?"

"Yyyyeah," Aang muttered. "That's not you at all."

"Listen, friends," Toph said. "It's obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you're seeing up there on the stage is the truth."

"I wouldn't say that exactly," Xhäs said, throwing in his two cents.

"And why's that?" Larxene asked.

"Research or not, you have to remember, this is a Fire Nation play," Xhäs replied. "They show us what the people wanna hear, or I guess a more accurate statement is: what the Firelord wants them to hear."

"In the end it's all propaganda?" Larxene asked. Xhäs nodded.

"They're trying to make you look like a gaggle of incompetent idiots who get through everything by sheer luck," the raven-haired Nobody continued. "They're over exaggerating your personalities and down-playing your accomplishments."

"To make it seem like we stand no chance against the Firelord," Zuko muttered. "And to assert his dominance."

"I never thought of it like that," Suki admitted.

"Everyone feeling better now?" Xhäs asked.

"A little," Sokka muttered as intermission ended and they all returned to their seats.

"They still at least could have made me a guy," Aang grumbled.

* * *

"Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom," **Katara **announced.

"Well, I guess I better look around for an Earth Bending teacher!" **Aang** replied as she flew away on her 'glider'.

"This is it!" Toph exclaimed excitedly. "This must be where I come in."

"This should be good," Xhäs ribbed as they watched **Aang** fly back to the others.

"I flew all over town, but I couldn't find a single Earthbending master!" she announced.

"Here it comes!" Toph whispered, leaning forward in her seat.

Suddenly a boulder cutout on the stage began rising as a large man was revealed. "You can't find an Earthbending master in the sky!" the male actor playing Toph informed them. "You have to look underground!"

The group burst out laughing at this. Toph looked around in confusion.

"Who are you?" **Aang **asked.

**Toph** spat on the ground. "My name's Toph, cause it sounds like tough and that's just what I am!" he said as he flexed his muscles.

The real Toph cleaned her ear with her pinky. "Wait a minute," she exclaimed. "I sound like... a guy! A really buff guy!"

"Well, Toph, what you hear up there is the truth," Katara teased. "It hurts doesn't it?"

"Are you kidding me?" Toph exclaimed. "I wouldn't have cast it any other way! At least it's not a flying bald lady."

"She has a point," Larxene pointed out.

Aang scowled at that.

"Sooo..." **Aang** said, waving a hand in front of **Toph's** face. "You're blind?"

**Toph** chuckled. "I can see you doing that," he replied. "I see everything you see, except I don't _see_ like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth." he turned to the **GAang **and let out a fierce shout. The scream deafened everybody in the audience except Toph. "There. I got a pretty good look at you."

* * *

"Zuko," **Iroh **said to the actor playing the prince. "It's time we had a talk... about your hair! It's gone too far!"

The spotlight shone on **Zuko**, who was currently wearing a very long and feminine wig. "Maybe it's best if we... split up," **Zuko** said, turning away dramatically. With that the two went their separate ways.

* * *

"Azula, my sister, what are you doing here?" **Zuko** exclaimed in shock, as he, **Iroh **and the **GAang** surrounded her.

"Oh, you caught me," **Azula** said, raising her hands. "Wait! What's that?" she exclaimed, pointing to the sky. "I think it's your honor!"

"Where?" **Zuko **cried as everyone turned around, allowing **Azula** to escape through a hidden door. They could hear her running backstage.

"She escaped, but how?"** Katara **asked.

The real GAang groaned.

"Wow," Larxene said. "They're making you guys look like pathetic losers."

They glared at her. "Hey," Xhäs said in her defense. "Like I said, it's all propaganda."

* * *

**Azula** laughed as she stood atop a giant drill, carving her way through the walls of Ba Sing Se.

"If she continues drilling, this wall will come down for sure!" **Aang **exclaimed. Someone backstage handed her a 'rock', she took the rock and 'Earthbended' it at **Azula**.

The actor backhanded the rock away from her. "Haha, yes!" she exclaimed. "Continue drilling! The city of Ba Sing Se can hide no longer!"

Down below, even the rest of the audience was quickly getting bored of the play. Several were either leaving or falling asleep in their seats.

* * *

"I have to admit, Prince Zuko," **Katara **said. "I really find you attractive."

"You don't have to make fun of me!" **Zuko** snarled.

"But I mean it," **Katara **insisted, getting closer and closer to **Zuko**. "I've had eyes for you since the day you first captured me."

The real Zuko and Katara shared a glanced and subtly scooted away from each other. Aang on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and paid close attention to what was happening.

"Wait!" **Zuko **shouted, stepping away from her. "I thought you were the Avatar's girl!"

Unconsciously, Aang nodded at that statement.

**Katara **laughed. "The Avatar?" she exclaimed. "Why he's like a little brother to me! I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about... this?"

With that the two actors embraced. Aang angrily stood up and began walking away.

"Oh, you're getting up?" Sokka asked. "Can you get me some fire flakes?" He wrapped his arm around Suki, who leaned into him. He suddenly leaned away, causing her to fall over. "Oh and some fire gummies!"

Suki glared at him, while Sokka wrapped his arm around her again. Xhäs noticed that Aang looked peeved and silently slipped away after him.

"Well my brother," **Azula **said. "What do you chose? Your nation or a life of treachery?"

"Choose treachery, it's more fun!" **Iroh **exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up.

**Zuko **walked over to **Iroh**. "No way!" **Azula **screamed. **Zuko **glanced at her and pushed **Iroh **down.

"I hate you, uncle!" **Zuko **shouted as he walked over to **Azula**. "You smell, and I hate you for all time!"

Katara had her hand over her mouth as Zuko leaned against the railing broodily. "You didn't really say that, did you?" she asked.

"I might as well have..." the prince replied sadly.

* * *

"Hey, Aang?" Xhäs called to the young Avatar, who was leaning against the railing.

"Leave me alone..." Aang replied.

"Come on, man, talk to me," Xhäs said as he jumped up and sat on the rail beside him.

"It's nothing..."

"I can't be anything; I mean you look pretty upset-"

"Would you just leave me alone?" Aang snapped. Xhäs flinched, causing Aang to sigh. "I'm sorry... It's just... this plays really getting to me, that's all."

"I don't think it's entirely the play," Xhäs remarked. "I noticed how you acted during that scene with Zuko and Katara.

"Was I that obvious?" Aang asked. Xhäs shook his head.

"Not really, I guess I'm just good at picking up on stuff like that," he replied. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Xhäs?" Aang asked. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but go ahead,"

"Have you ever been in love?" the Avatar asked.

"Er, what?" Xhäs replied awkwardly.

"Have you ever fallen in love with someone?"

Xhäs looked away for a few moments to gather his thoughts. "No," he said finally, if not a bit nervously. "I... I don't really know what love is. You can say that things like that... aren't really... important where I'm from."

"Love isn't important?" Aang asked in shock. Xhäs flinched.

"Well, it's complicated..." Xhäs said. He needed to get the subject away from him and fast. "So you think you're in love with Katara?"

Aang blushed. "Well... it's complicated..." Xhäs laughed.

"I'm sure it is," he replied. "Look, I know you're worried about the whole Katara and Zuko thing, but really, you shouldn't be. Zuko's involved with a girl named Mai... or he used to be I think..."

"So he could go after Katara?" Aang asked worriedly.

"Whoa, there, let's not jump to conclusions!" Xhäs exclaimed. "I noticed that they didn't seem to like that scene any more than you did. I told you, 75% of the stuff in this play is complete bull. Zuko told me and Larxene what happened in that cave."

"So what happened?" Aang urged.

"Well he said they bonded..." Xhäs said, causing Aang to stiffen. "Not like that! They just talked about their common pasts. How they both lost their mothers to the Fire Nation. She offered to heal his scar and that's when you and Iroh showed up."

"So... nothing happened?" Aang asked. Xhäs nodded and the Avatar released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "But... what about her feelings towards me? What if she really does only see me as a little brother?"

Xhäs shook his head. "I can't answer that, Aang," he said. "Only Katara can tell you how she truly feels. But if she doesn't see you that way, you have to accept it." Seeing Aang about to protest, he cut him off. "Aang, Katara can't choose who she loves. You can't force her to love you." he leaned towards the other boy. "But if she does love you, you're one lucky guy. I mean, have you _seen _her? _Dayum_!"

Aang glared at Xhäs, causing him to laugh."Relax, I'm kidding, but seriously, if she loves you; she loves you. If she doesn't; she doesn't. Give her time. Try not to beat yourself up over this. Love is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will evade you, but if you sit and turn your attention to other things, it'll come to you." Xhäs hopped off the railing and patted Aang on the shoulder. "I'm gonna head back now. Come join us when you're ready."

As he walked away Aang called out to him. "Xhäs?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

"No problem."

* * *

Xhäs returned to find Sokka, Suki, Toph, Zuko and Larxene sitting around. Apparently it was intermission. "Hey, where's Katara?"

"She went to find Aang," Sokka replied. Xhäs froze.

_'Uh oh, let's hope things don't boil over,' _Xhäs thought. He was broken out of his thoughts as Sokka exclaimed:

"Suki! What are the chances you can get me backstage?" he asked. "I wanna give some jokes to the actor me."

"I'm an elite warrior who's trained for many years at the art of stealth!" Suki cried, causing Sokka to flinch. "I think I could get you backstage." she finished sweetly. Sokka eyed her warily as they walked away.

"Jeez, everyone's getting so upset about their characters," Toph commented. She turned to Zuko. "Even you seem more down than usual, and that's saying something."

"You don't get it," Zuko said quietly. "You get a muscle-y version of yourself taking down ten bad guys at the same time and making sassy remarks."

"Yeah, that's pretty great," Toph laughed.

"But for me, it takes all the mistakes I've made in my life and shoves them back in my face," Zuko finished. "My uncle, he's always been on my side, even when things were bad. He was there for me... He taught me so much and how do I repay him? With a knife in his back! It's my greatest regret, and I may never get to redeem myself."

Toph seemed sympathetic as she sat down next to him. "You have redeemed yourself to your uncle," she said. "You don't realize it, but you already have."

"How do you know?" Zuko asked.

"Because I once had a long conversation with the guy," Toph replied. "And all he would talk about is you."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and it was kind of annoying," she admitted.

"Oh, sorry,"

"But it was also very sweet," Toph said. "All your uncle wanted was for you to find your own path and see the light. Now you're here with us. He'd be proud." Zuko smiled at her.

Suddenly she lashed out and punched him on the arm. "OW!" he exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"That's how I show affection," she explained. "Which reminds me..." She swiftly gave Xhäs and Larxene a punch on the arm each.

"Hey!" Xhäs exclaimed, rubbing his arm. He bit back a retort as a young boy dressed as Aang came running up to them.

The boy pointed at Zuko. "Your Zuko costume is pretty good, but your scar is on the wrong side." With that he ran off, leaving Zuko fuming.

"THE SCAR'S NOT ON THE WRONG SIDE!" he shouted before putting his hood back up. The others just laughed at him.

* * *

Backstage, Suki and Sokka snuck down the stairs. They peaked around the corner to see **Sokka **walking towards them.

"He's coming this way," Suki hissed. Sokka excitedly ran up to him.

"Can I help you?" **Sokka** asked in confusion.

"Actually, I think I can help _you_," Sokka replied. "I'm a big Sokka fan, but I don't think your representing him as well as you could be."

"Oooh, no," **Sokka **groaned. "Another fan with ideas."

"Just hear me out," Sokka exclaimed as he began reading off a couple of note cards. "Here's something I think the real Sokka would say: What does the cabbage merchant use to fix his cabbages? A cabbage patch!"

Suki face palmed, but **Sokka **actually laughed. "That's pretty good, let me see those." he chuckled as he read them. "A rocky relationship... not bad..."

Sokka grinned. "So... don't be afraid to make up some phrases, especially before an attack. Something like... FLYING KICKA-POW!"

The two Sokkas began walking away, leaving Suki standing there, hands on her hips. "So who are you, anyway?" **Sokka **asked.

"I'm just a guy who likes comedy," **Sokka **replied.

* * *

The GAang returned to their seats. Xhäs noticed Katara looked a bit peeved. He noticed Aang walk in a few minutes after them.

"Here's what you missed," Sokka whispered. "We went to the Fire Nation, you got better, Katara was the Painted Lady, I got a sword and I think Combustion Man died. Oh, look, the invasion's about to start."

"I just want you to know, Aang,** Katara** said. "I'll always love you... like a brother."

"I wouldn't want it any other way!" **Aang **exclaimed. The two shook hands and **Aang **took off flying.

The real Aang sighed and turned away. "So what happened?" he jumped as Xhäs sat next to him. "Katara looks pissed."

"I was an idiot and ignored what you told me," Aang said gloomily.

...

"I kissed her after she told me she was confused and needed time," he re-alliterated.

"Oh, boy," Xhäs sighed.

"What should I do now?" Aang asked.

"I'm not sure," Xhäs replied. "Maybe we should ask Larxene about it? She's a girl after all."

"Er, let's not," Aang said nervously. Xhäs looked at him in confusion.

"Why not?"

"Well, she's not exactly the girly-girly type," Aang replied. "And to be honest... she kinda scares me."

"She scares us all, my friend, she scares us all," Xhäs said, patting him on the shoulder. "But maybe you're right. The best I can tell you is to do exactly what she asked. Give her time."

Their conversation was interrupted by Sokka's hysterical laughter. He grabbed Xhäs and Aang by the arm. "I told him to say that!"

Apparently **Sokka** had just said something hilarious, as the rest of the audience was laughing as well.

The **GAang** was gathered before the Fire Lord's throne.

"We finally made it to the royal palace, but no one's home!" **Aang **exclaimed.

"Actually, I'm home!" **Zuko **corrected as he stepped onstage with a Vegeta-esque wig. "And I want to join you."

"I guess we have no choice," **Sokka **said. "Come on!"

With that they rushed offstage.

"I guess that's it," Sokka said, standing up and stretching. "The play's caught up to the present now."

"Wait," Suki said. "The play's not over."

"But the play is over... unless... THIS IS THE FUTURE!" Sokka exclaimed.

The **Firelord **stood from his throne. "With the energy from the comet, _no one _will be able to stop the Fire Nation!"

"Father!" **Azula **exclaimed. "Zuko and the Avatar are at the palace, they are trying to stop you!"

"You take care of Zuko," the **Firelord **commanded. "I will take care of the Avatar myself!"

He disappeared in a cloud of smoke as **Zuko **and **Aang **appeared.

"Aang, you find the Firelord, I'll hold her off!" **Zuko **exclaimed as Aang flew off.

"You are no longer my brother," **Azula **spat. "You are an enemy!"

"No!" **Zuko **shouted. "I am the rightful heir to the throne!"

"We'll see!" **Azula **exclaimed as the two began throwing ribbons at each other. Finally the 'dual' ended as Zuko was burned alive.

Zuko stiffened as the audience began cheering wildly. The others looked at him sympathetically.

**Aang** walked onstage as a spotlight shone down on the **Firelord**.

"So, you have mastered all four elements?" he asked.

"Yeah, and now, you're goin' down!" **Aang **exclaimed.

"No, it is you who are going down!" the **Firelord **sneered. "You see, you are too late! The comet is already here and I'm unstoppable!"

The **Firelord **began firing ribbons at **Aang**, as the **Avatar **evaded every attack. Finally, he sent a huge wall of ribbon at **Aang**, catching her in midair.

"Nnnnooooooooooooo..." **Aang **shouted as she was felled.

"It is over father," **Azula **said as she walked onstage. "We have done it."

"Yes, we have done it!" the **Firelord **agreed. "The dreams of my father and my father's father have now been realized! THE WORLD IS MINE!"

The crowd began cheering wildly as the GAang sat frozen in shock. Xhäs put a hand on Aang's shoulder, as the young Avatar was shaking quite badly.

"It's not real," he whispered. "It's not real."

Aang turned to him, pale. "I hope it won't be..."

* * *

"That... wasn't a good play," Zuko said as they walked away from the theater house.

"I'll say," Aang agreed.

"We didn't even appear!" Larxene complained, gesturing towards herself and Xhäs.

"Well we didn't show up till a few days ago," Xhäs said.

"Meh, the effects were decent," Sokka shrugged.

"I can't believe the crowd cheered like that..." Katara whispered. "It was so... horrible..."

"I'll say," Suki agreed.

"Everyone expects us to fail so easily," Aang muttered. "Even the everyday citizens."

"Well then," Xhäs said, catching all their attention. "We'll just have to prove them wrong."

"That we will," Zuko said. "That we will."

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long, but they've been really cramming us to study in school. For some reason, the state feels the need to drill us on all we've learned in the middle of May... Apparently if we didn't do well on the tests then our high school diplomas are practically worthless. Now all I have to worry about are finals which should be happening in about two or three weeks.**

**Afterwards comes the summer, which leaves me free to write to my hearts content! Maybe you can start expecting similar updates to my original story, hmm? Man with the way this story is going, it could end up being just as long or even longer than Pokemon: Keyblade Masters!**

**Happy Memorial Day!**


	17. He's Gonna WHAT!

"More ferocious!" Zuko barked as he observed Aang practicing his Firebending technique just outside the beach house. "Imagine striking through your opponent's heart!"

"I'm trying!" Aang growled.

"Then let me hear you roar like a tiger-dillo!"

Aang spun in a half circle while roaring (rather pathetically) and sending small wisps of flames in either direction.

"That sounded pathetic!" Zuko exclaimed. "I said ROAR!"

Aang repeated the movement with a little more enthusiasm and succeeded in unleashing a large torrent of flames. Zuko nodded in approval.

"Who wants a nice cool glass of watermelon juice?" Katara called from her position on the house's steps. Aang's ears twitched as he heard this.

"Ooh!" he exclaimed in excitement. "Me! Me! Me!" He rushed towards the tanned girl, only to be grabbed by the back of his shirt by Zuko.

"Hey!" the prince exclaimed. "Your lesson's not over yet! Get back here!"

"Oh, come on, Zuko," Suki said lazily as the rest of the GAang lounged around with their beverages. "Just take a break. What's the big deal?"

"Fine," Zuko let out a sigh and released Aang, who promptly sped towards Katara. "If you wanna lounged around like a bunch of snail-sloths all day, then go ahead!" With that he stormed off.

"Maybe Zuko's right," Sokka admitted. "Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change that..." He suddenly stood up and ripped his clothing off, leaving him wearing a pair of lavender undergarments. "Beach party!"

With that, he raced off, the others following eagerly. Xhäs and Larxene shared a glance before following at a more sedate pace. "I've never actually been to the beach before," Xhäs commented.

"I haven't been there in quite a while," Larxene nodded. "I think the last time was when I was still human, actually. We don't really have the chance to just lounge around in the sand all day anymore, do we?"

"Pfft, not with the elf working us to death all day, every day," Xhäs replied.

"So when do you think we should be getting back?" the blonde questioned.

"Honestly, I'd rather drag this out as long as possible," Xhäs said. "The longer I don't have to see Saïx's ugly mug, the better."

"So we intend to help them defeat the Firelord?" Larxene asked. Xhäs turned to look at her.

"Well, I do," he replied. "You don't have to do anything. You could go back now if you wanted, I won't stop you but I intend to see this through."

Larxene sighed. "You know my answer."

Xhäs smiled. "Thanks, Xene,"

The blonde waved him off. "If we're going to the beach, we're gonna have to ditch the cloaks,"

Xhäs looked down at their attire. "Yeah, they aren't exactly beach-friendly." The two off them snapped their fingers and their cloaks began fading away into the shadows, leaving them in their 'casual' clothes.

Larxene's outfit consisted of a white dress shirt that fit snuggly around her curves with a few buttons undone to reveal her navel. She wore a black tie and baggy beige cargo pants with black and white plaid Polo shoes.

The whole ensemble was thrown out the window when she began unbuttoning her shirt. Xhäs did the thing most guys in his place would. Panic.

"L-Larxene, w-what are you d-doing?" he squeaked. She looked at him in confusion.

"Getting ready for the beach," she replied. Xhäs felt like smacking himself. Of course they weren't swimming while fully clothed.

"Right..." the raven-haired Nobody replied as he too began undressing.

Five minutes later, Xhäs was left wearing a pair of plain black boxers while Larxene wore a yellow bikini-bra with black hot pants. Emblazoned across the back were the words 'can't touch this!'

"Nice," Xhäs snickered, much to Larxene's embarrassment. The two Nobodies left the privacy of the bushes and made their way onto the beach. Katara was surfing using a board made of ice while Suki lounged on a blanket. Aang was putting the finishing touches on a sand sculpture of Appa.

"What do you think?" the Avatar called to his friends.

"Not bad, baldy," Toph commented. "But I've been working on my Sandbending. You're gonna love this!"

With that she stomped on the ground, creating a crater in the sand. Inside the crater, an intricate replica of a city.

"Whoa!" Aang exclaimed as he examined the art. "You even made a tiny Earth King and Basco!"

The two preteens went to see what Sokka had made. "Try and top that, Sokka!" Toph taunted.

Sokka stepped away from his masterpiece. "Tada!" The two stared at the 'sculpture', which was actually a giant blob of sand with seaweed hair.

"Is that a... giant blubbering... blob monster?" Aang asked uncertainly.

"No!" Sokka exclaimed, offended. "It's Suki!"

Aang's eyes widened before he and Toph burst out laughing.

"Nice to see how you view your girlfriend, jerky boy," a voice called out to them. The three of them turned to the voice, only for the boys' jaws to drop. Larxene was approaching them with Xhäs at her side.

Toph raised an eyebrow. Unlike the boys, she couldn't actually see them, but she could tell the change in weight. "Whoa, you two go commando or something?"

The two reached them and Larxene noticed the boys' stares. "Got something to say?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aang shook his head frantically. "No ma'am!"

But apparently, Sokka very much enjoyed the taste of his feet. He shook out of his daze and exclaimed, "So you _are _a girl!"

Larxene cracked her knuckles. "I'm gonna enjoy this," she muttered as she shoved her clothes into Xhäs's arms and took off after a shrieking Sokka. Xhäs chuckled and set his and Larxene's cloths down on Suki's blanket.

"Suki, we understand if you break up with him over that," he said laughingly, nodding his head towards Sokka's 'sculpture'.

The Kyoshi Warrior giggled. "I think it's sweet,"

Sokka dashed by, giving Suki a quick kiss on the cheek for her comment before taking off again, Larxene at his heels.

"But it doesn't even look lik-" Aang's statement was cut off as the sculpture was struck by a fireball, sending sand flying everywhere. The group looked up in shock to see Zuko leaping down towards them, sending fireballs in Aang's direction.

The Avatar retreated behind the Appa sculpture. "What are you doing?" he cried.

"Teaching you a lesson!" the prince shouted as he sent a blast of fire in Aang's direction, destroying the sculpture. Aang leapt away and used Airbending to climb the cliffs back towards the house. Zuko wasted no time in going after him.

Katara rode her board back to the group. "What happened?" she asked, seeing their shocked looks.

"Zuko's gone crazy!" Sokka exclaimed as he began trying to repair the damage to the sculpture. "I made a sand sculpture of Suki and he _destroyed _it!"

"Let's focus on the important parts here, Sokka," Xhäs said. Sokka glared.

"I am!"

Larxene rolled her eyes. "The emo boy attacked Twinkletoes. They're headed towards the house right now."

With that explained, the group dashed back towards the house. They arrived just in time to see Zuko get blasted outside by a powerful gust of wind.

"What's wrong with you?" Katara shouted as Aang jumped down to them. "You could have hurt Aang!"

"What's wrong with me?" Zuko demanded. "What's wrong with all of _you_? How can you all sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away? ...Why are you all looking at me like I'm crazy?"

"It's got nothing to do with the fact that you just attacked Twinkletoes randomly like that," Larxene muttered sarcastically.

"About Sozin's Comet," Aang sighed. "I was actually going to wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came."

"After?" Zuko repeated in shock.

"I'm not ready," Aang explained. "I need more time to master Firebending."

"And frankly," Toph chimed in. "Your Earthbending could still use some work too."

"So... you all knew Aang was gonna wait?" Zuko asked.

"Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Firelord right now, he's gonna lose," Sokka said. "No offense." he added upon seeing the look on Aang's face.

"Yeah, and why attack the king of the Fire Nation on the day ALL Firebenders get super-charged?" Xhäs asked. "Sounds pretty stupid to me."

"The whole point of fighting the Firelord before the Comet was the stop the Fire Nation from winning the war," Katara explained. "But they pretty much won the war when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can't get any worse."

"You're wrong..." Zuko said grimly, causing all of them to glance at him sharply. "It's about to get worse than you can even imagine. The day before the eclipse, my father asked me to attend an important war meeting. It's what I dreamed about and wanted for so many years. My father had finally accepted me back.

_Flashback_

_"Prince Zuko, we have been waiting," Firelord Ozai nodded as his son entered the room. Zuko bowed to his father before sitting on his right side. Azula sat on her father's left side. The Firelord turned to his generals. "General Shinu, your report."_

_The recently promoted general stood and began speaking. "Thank you, sir. Ba Sing Se is still under our control, however, Earthbender rebellions have prevented us from achieving total victory in the Earth Kingdom."_

_"What is your recommendation?" Ozai asked._

_"Our army is spread too thin, but once the eclipse is over and the invasion defeated we should transfer more domestic forces into the Earth Kingdom." Shinu suggested. The Firelord considered this. He turned to his son._

_"Prince Zuko," he addressed. "You've been among the Earth Kingdom commoners. Do you think adding more troops will stop these rebellions?"_

_Zuko glanced at his father. "The people of the Earth Kingdom are proud and strong," he said. "They can endure anything so long as they have hope."_

_"Yes," Ozai mused. "You're right. We need to destroy their hope."_

_Zuko glanced up sharply. "That's not exactly what I-"_

_"I think," Azula interjected. "You should take their hope - and the rest of their land - and burn it all to the ground."_

_"Yes..." the Firelord murmured."Yes, you're right Azula." He stood and made his way to the map in which the generals sat around. "Sozin's Comet is almost upon us and on that day it will endow us with the strength of a hundred suns. No bender will stand a chance against us."_

_"What are you suggesting, sir?" Shinu asked._

_"When the Comet last came, my grandfather, Sozin used it to wipe out the Air Nomads," Ozai explained. "Now I will use its power to end the Earth Kingdom. Permanently. From our airships we will rain fire on their lands. Fire that will destroy everything and from the ashes a new world will be born. A world in which all the lands are Fire Nation and I am the supreme ruler of EVERYTHING!"_

_The generals all burst into applause as Zuko ground his teeth._

_End Flashback_

"I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan," Zuko said softly. "But I'm ashamed to say I didn't. My whole life I struggled to gain my father's love and acceptance. But once I had it, I realized I lost myself getting there. I'd forgotten who I was."

"I can't believe it..." Katara whispered.

"I always knew the Firelord was a bad guy, but," Sokka muttered. "His plan is just pure evil!"

"What am I gonna do?" Aang asked.

"I know you're scared," Zuko said. "And I know you're not ready to save the world but if you don't defeat the Firelord before the Comet comes, there won't be a world to save anymore."

"Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?" Aang demanded.

"I didn't think I had to!" Zuko defended himself. "I assumed you were still gonna fight the Firelord before the Comet. No one told _me _you decided to wait!"

"This is bad..." Aang muttered as he fell to his knees. "This is really, _really _bad."

"Aang," Katara said. "You don't have to do this alone."

"Yeah," Toph agreed. "If we all take on the Firelord together, we've got a shot at taking him down."

"Alright!" Sokka cheered. "Team Avatar is back!" He pointed at Aang. "Air!" Katara. "Water!" Toph. "Earth!" Zuko. "Fire!" He then gestured towards Suki, himself, Xhäs and Larxene. "Fan, sword, key and knives!"

"Fighting the Firelord is gonna be the hardest thing we've ever done together," Aang said. "But I wouldn't wanna do it any other way."

The GAang laughed as they all got into a group hug. Zuko, Xhäs and Larxene stood back awkwardly. "Get over here, guys," Katara urged. "Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs."

Zuko sighed and went to join them. Xhäs chuckled and dragged a reluctant Larxene with him.

"We'll do this together," Xhäs said. "Because together we can do anything."

"Right!"

* * *

"There's one technique you need to know before facing my father," Zuko said as he and Aang stood in the courtyard. Katara, Xhäs and Larxene sat watching. "How to redirect lightning. If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You turn your opponent's energy against them."

"That's like Waterbending!" Aang exclaimed.

"Exactly," Zuko nodded. "My uncle invented this technique himself by studying Waterbenders."

"So have you ever redirected lightning before?" Aang asked.

"Once," Zuko nodded. "Against my father."

"What did it feel like?" Aang asked eagerly.

"Exhilarating," Zuko answered. "But terrifying as well. You feel so powerful holding _that _much energy in your body, but you know that if you make one wrong move... its over."

"Well not _over_, over, right?" Aang said uneasily. "I mean, there's always Katara and a little Spirit Water action, am I right?"

Katara raised an eyebrow. "Actually I used it all up after Azula shot you,"

"Oh," Aang muttered.

Larxene turned to Xhäs. "I don't see what the big deal is," she remarked. "It's not _that _hard..."

"I'd like to see you redirect lightning!" Zuko exclaimed, offended.

Xhäs turned to the blonde. "Not everyone has your control over electricity," he whispered. He smirked. "Why don't you give 'em a few pointers?"

Larxene smirked. "Alright, Hothead," she said standing. "Let's see this great technique of yours."

"Are you kidding?" Katara exclaimed. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?"

"Our... 'Bending' works a bit differently than yours," Xhäs provided. "We can control how powerful our attacks are."

"Even so," Zuko countered. "I'm not able to generate lightning and I highly doubt either of you ca-" He was cut off as Larxene snapped her fingers. A spark of electricity appeared in her hand and she began tossing it up and down.

"You were saying?" she asked far too sweetly.

"Like I said," Xhäs re-illiterated. "Our abilities are different than yours. While we can't control fire, air or water like you guys can, Larxene has control over electricity, just as I have control over light."

To add emphasis, Xhäs created a beam of light to shine down on Aang.

"Other than blinding people, how would that help in a conflict?" the Avatar asked. Xhäs's eyes narrowed as the beam of light was replaced by a spear of pure light, pointed straight at Aang. "O-Okay, I get the _point_!"

"That's amazing!" Katara exclaimed.

"Alright, alright," Larxene said impatiently. "Are you gonna show us this technique or what? A demonstration might help Twinkletoes understand the concept."

Zuko glared at her. "Fine," he growled. He took a deep breath and got into a stance. The Savage Nymph smirked as she suddenly lashed out, sending a stream of lightning at the prince. Zuko stuck two fingers forward and absorbed the energy he twisted around and pointed his other hand to the sky and unleashed the deadly energy.

Aang, Katara and Xhäs applauded. "Not bad, Hothead," Larxene admitted. "You wanna give it a shot, Baldy?"

"M-Me?" Aang asked.

"You _are _the only bald guy here," the blonde smirked.

"B-But what if something goes wrong?" he asked. "What if I mess up?"

"Relax," Xhäs said easily. "With Xene you've got nothing to worry about. The worst it could do is knock you out for a couple minutes."

"Or it could kill you instantly or even worse, kill you slowly," Larxene commented. Aang gulped. "Just saying."

"I-I'd rather not," Aang said uneasily.

"This is something you need to learn, Aang," Zuko said a bit impatiently. "And when the Firelord is throwing lightning bolts at you, he won't be aiming to knock you out."

"I-" Aang sighed. "Listen, can we just take a break?"

Zuko stepped in his face. "You'll have to take the Firelord's life before he takes _yours_," with that he stormed off.

Aang watched him leave. "Yeah..." he said uncertainly."I'll just do that..."

* * *

"Gather 'round, Team Avatar," Sokka called as he finished setting up a target dummy. He re-adjusted the dummy's melon head before turning towards them. "In order to take out the Firelord - or in this case, the Melon-lord - our timing has to be perfect. First, Suki and I will draw his fire, then Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquid-y-hot offense and while the Melon-lord's distracted, Aang swoops in and BAM!" He said as he drew the 'battle plan' in the sand. "He delivers the final blow."

"And what about us?" Toph asked, indicating herself, Larxene and Xhäs.

"For now, you're the Melon-lord's forces." Sokka replied.

"So we get to chuck flaming rocks at you?" Larxene asked with a grin. Sokka looked uneasy.

"Whatever makes it seem more realistic," he said warily. "But try not to hurt us too badly."

"Sweetness," Toph smiled.

The team began getting into place. Toph created stone soldiers that each had a torch in their hands. "Let's try and keep this to fire," Xhäs said.

"But that's no fun," Larxene complained.

"We're going for realistic, not fun," Xhäs replied.

They watched as Sokka and Suki came charging forward. Toph created more soldiers and sent them barreling towards them. Xhäs and Larxene simultaneously cast Fire at them, which either became friendly fire or was dodged by the two teens.

The two continued on their way towards them when suddenly a huge flaming boulder came crashing down in front of them. Suki deftly flipped over the rock and continued on. Sokka just barely managed to avoid getting crushed.

"Watch it, Toph!" he shouted.

"I am not Toph!" the young girl shouted back. "I am Melon-lord! Mwahahahaha!"

Katara and Zuko took this as their cue to go. Toph created a huge boulder, which Xhäs promptly lit on fire and sent it flying towards them. The two teen split up to avoid the flaming projectile. They quickly regrouped, only to be surrounded by more soldiers. The two skilled benders took them down without a second's pause.

"Now, Aang!" Sokka shouted.

From the cliff above them, Aang leapt down, staff in hand. However, just before he was about to strike the Melon-lord, he stopped.

"What are you waiting for?" Zuko shouted. "Take him out!"

"I can't..." the Avatar muttered.

"Aang, if this had been real, you would be dead right now," Xhäs said pointedly.

"I'm sorry," he replied softly. "It just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself."

Without warning, five knives embedded themselves in the Melon-lord's face. A sixth sliced the head clean off the body. They turned to see Larxene scowling. "There," she barked. "That's how it's done."

Aang could only stare at the melon-head in shock and horror.

* * *

At dinner, Aang sat apart from the others. They all ate their meal in silence until Katara came bounding up to them.

"I have a surprise for everyone!" the Waterbender exclaimed.

"I knew it!" Toph exclaimed. "You _did _have a secret thing with Haru!"

The others just stared at her random statement before turning back to Katara.

"Uh, no," Katara said, looking at her strangely. "I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this!" She unfolded the scroll she was holding to reveal a baby sporting a pony tail. "Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute?" Everyone shared at chuckle at Zuko's expense. The prince scowled, causing Katara to roll her eyes. "Oh lighten up, I'm just teasing."

"That's not me," he stated, much to everyone's surprise. "It's my father."

Everyone just stared at him in shock. Katara nearly dropped the scroll as she rolled it back up. "But he looks so sweet and innocent," Suki argued weakly.

"Well that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster," Zuko replied coolly. "And the worst father in the history of fathers."

"But he's still a human being," Aang said from his position away from the group.

"You're going to defend him?" Zuko asked incredulously.

"No, I agree with you," Aang replied as he stood up. "Firelord Ozai is a horrible person and the world would probably be better off without him, but there's gotta be another way."

"Like what?" Xhäs asked.

"I don't know," Aang muttered. "Maybe we can find some big pots of glue so I can use Gluebending to stick his arms and legs together so he can't bend anymore!"

"Yeah, then you can show him his baby pictures so all his happy memories will make him good again!" Zuko said in sarcastic eagerness, causing the others to laugh.

"Do you really think that would work?" Aang asked excitedly.

"No!" the prince shouted.

Aang sighed in frustration. "This goes against everything I learned from the monks," he told them as he began pacing. "I can't just go around wiping out people I don't like!"

"Sure you can!" Sokka said. "You're the Avatar. If it's in the name of keeping balance I'm pretty sure the universe will forgive you."

"THIS ISN'T A JOKE, SOKKA!" Aang exploded. "None of you understand the position I'm in!"

"Aang," Katara exclaimed. "We do understand, it's just-"

"Just what, Katara?" Aang demanded. "What?"

"We're _trying _to help!" she shouted.

"Well when _you _find a way to defeat the Firelord without taking his life, I'd _love _to hear it!" Aang growled in return. He spun around and stomped away.

"Aang, don't run away from this!" Katara shouted. She made to follow him, but a hand stopped her. She looked back at Zuko.

"Let him go," he muttered. "He needs time to sort it out by himself."

Xhäs turned to Larxene. "I hope he'll be alright..."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Larxene said offhandedly, though Xhäs could tell she was concerned as well. "He just needs to think about what he has to do."

Xhäs looked to where Aang had just left. "I hope you're right."

* * *

Aang sat on a balcony, meditating in the candle light. He opened his eyes as Momo, his pet flying-lemur landed in his lap.

"Hey, Momo," he said, petting the small animal. "I don't suppose you know what I should do?" The lemur cocked his head at him. "I didn't think so..."

With that, Aang returned to his meditation as Momo fell asleep next to him.

* * *

Momo was awoken by movement next to him. He looked up to see his master, Aang climbing down the balcony. He quickly followed the young Airbender as he moved in an almost zombie-like state. The two finally reached the beach, where Momo noticed a strange new island had appeared out of nowhere.

Aang stepped into the water and began swimming to the island, his eyes glazed as though in a trance. Momo glanced back at the house before flying after him.

* * *

Sokka grunted as he placed the final pack on Appa's back. He wiped his forehead as he glared at the morning sun. "Well, that's everything."

"No it's not," Toph interjected. "Where's Aang?"

The group glanced at each other before splitting up to search for him. Zuko and Xhäs went to Aang's room to find its occupant missing. They exited to room to see Toph and Larxene walking towards them. Their expressions told them that they hadn't found the Airbender either.

Sokka, Katara and Suki stepped onto the balcony that overlooked the sea to see a familiar weapon leaning against the railing.

"He left his staff," Sokka muttered. "That's so strange."

"Aang's not in the house," Zuko informed them as they stepped onto the balcony as well. "Let's check the beach."

The group made their way down to the beach, where they were met with a surprise.

"Look, there are his footprints!" Xhäs exclaimed.

"The trail ends at the water..." Larxene observed.

"So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?" Suki asked weakly.

"Maybe he was captured?" Katara suggested worriedly.

"I don't think so," Sokka said as he examined the tracks. "There's no sign of a struggle."

"I bet he ran away again," Toph sighed.

"Nuh-uh," Sokka shook his head. "He left behind his glider and Appa."

"Then just what do you think happened to him, oh sleuth-y one?"

"It's pretty obvious," Sokka chuckled. "Aang disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a Spirit World journey!"

"Wouldn't his body still be here?" Zuko asked. Sokka visibly wilted.

"Oh, yeah," he muttered dejectedly. "Forgot about that."

"Then he's gotta be somewhere on Ember Island," Katara said firmly. "Let's split up and look for them."

Toph suddenly grabbed Xhäs and Zuko's arms. "I call these two!" Everyone stared at her. "What? Everyone else went on a life changing field trip with them, now it's my turn!"

Xhäs coughed awkwardly. "Er, sure..."

"Whatever," Zuko said. "Let's go."


End file.
